Following Saturday’s Premier League victory over Wolves at Molineux, Arsenal’s players confronted match referee Michael Oliver, leading to charges from the FA. This incident occurred after defender Myles Lewis-Skelly received a red card just before halftime.
Earlier this week, the red card issued by Oliver, who was not prompted to review his decision on the pitchside monitor by VAR assistants at Stockley Park, was overturned.
An FA statement noted, “The club allegedly failed to ensure that its players did not behave in an improper manner around the 43rd minute. Arsenal FC has until Monday, 3 February, to provide a response.”
Should the FA find Arsenal guilty, the club faces a fine due to the incident, which involved several players approaching Oliver to voice their complaints after Lewis-Skelly’s dismissal.
Fortunately for manager Mikel Arteta, his team secured a 1-0 win, courtesy of a late goal from Riccardo Calafiori, despite Wolves also experiencing a red card.
Red Card Controversy and Appeal Success
The decision made by Oliver to issue a straight red to Lewis-Skelly, coupled with the lack of intervention from VAR officials Darren England and Adrian Holmes, frustrated many, including Arteta and his squad. Initially, it was stated that Lewis-Skelly had engaged in violent conduct.
However, following Arsenal’s appeal, the panel overturned Lewis-Skelly’s three-match suspension. The panel’s written reasoning indicated that Oliver had made a clear error and that there was agreement among its members.
The explanation detailed that Lewis-Skelly “had stepped across his opponent and tripped him up, possibly deliberately, but in doing so he had obviously not endangered the safety of his opponent or used excessive force or brutality, nor had he ‘lunged’ in at his opponent.”
Join the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel During a group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, along with players Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Gabriel Jesus, posed with the Arsenal Therapy Dog, Win.
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