Referee Michael Oliver issued a red card to Myles Lewis-Skelly during the first half at Molineux. This decision was made after the Arsenal player fouled the Wolves full-back by catching him on the ankle as he attempted to initiate a counter-attack.
While the VAR did not overturn the controversial call, it has since been rescinded by the Football Association (FA).
The FA confirmed, “An independent Regulatory Commission has upheld a claim of wrongful dismissal in relation to Myles Lewis-Skelly and removed his three-match suspension.
The Arsenal player was sent off for serious foul play during their Premier League fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, January 25, 2025.”
Consequently, Lewis-Skelly is now eligible to participate in Arsenal’s next Premier League match at home against Manchester City on Sunday.
Initially, he had been set to serve a three-match suspension due to the red card, which would have excluded him from matches against City and Leicester, as well as the Gunners’ semi-final second leg at Newcastle.
This marked the first red card in Lewis-Skelly’s career, with the young player having received only three yellow cards in his 17 senior appearances.
Despite the dismissal, Mikel Arteta’s team secured a 1-0 victory over Wolves, thanks to Riccardo Calafiori’s strike in the second half.
Backlash Against Referee Michael Oliver
Following the incident, referee Oliver faced severe backlash online, including death threats against his family.
This led to what the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) labeled as “abhorrent abuse” directed at Oliver, who is widely regarded as one of the top referees globally.
After the match, Arteta expressed his anger, although he refrained from specifically mentioning Oliver.
Jamie O’Hara expressed his disbelief at Oliver’s decision to send off Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly. In response, the Arsenal manager emphasized the necessity of eliminating abuse directed at referees.
“Every time I talk about this topic, whether it’s about a player, a coach, or a referee, it doesn’t matter,” Arteta stated ahead of his team’s Champions League match against Girona.
“We really have to work harder to eradicate this part of the game that brings nothing but bad stuff, leaves a bad taste, and makes people’s lives more difficult.
Let’s get it out; let’s kick it out. It’s for everyone in football; it should not be permitted. We don’t want it, we don’t need it, and it certainly damages our sport. Let’s get it out.”
Oliver is scheduled to officiate Ipswich’s Premier League match against Southampton on Saturday and has also been assigned to the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park the following Wednesday.
When asked how online abuse could be eliminated from football, Arteta responded, “First of all, it’s about spending more time making the right decisions, with the right people to get it out.
We have put in laws, measures, and regulations for that kind of thing, but we haven’t done it (on social media).
They’re all talking about it, but no one seems to be moving strongly enough and bringing people in to eradicate that from the game, because it’s just unacceptable.”
