Arsenal wing-back Myles Lewis-Skelly will not serve a three-match suspension after the club’s appeal against his red card at Wolves was upheld by a Football Association (FA) disciplinary commission.
Lewis-Skelly was sent off by referee Michael Oliver in the 43rd minute of the Gunners’ 1-0 victory at Wolves on Saturday, with the 18-year-old deemed to have committed a serious foul play challenge on Matt Doherty. Oliver’s decision was supported by the VAR, Darren England.
The FA and Arsenal confirmed the decision in a joint-statement.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he was “absolutely fuming” about Lewis-Skelly’s dismissal, which would have seen him miss Sunday’s home game against Aston Villa in the Premier League, the second of the Carabao Cup semifinal at Newcastle United on Feb. 5 and the trip to Leicester City on Feb. 15.
It is the third time this season that a player has won an appeal against a red card in the Premier League, despite VAR being in operation as a safety net. In September, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was dismissed against Tottenham Hotspur. Then in November, Brentford skipper Christian Nørgaard was sent off on the advice of the VAR due to a high challenge on Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
United and Brentford successfully appealed the red cards to the FA, with a panel of three former players convened to vote on the referee’s decision. In both cases, the panel reached a split 2-1 judgement to overturn the red card. The written reasons behind Lewis-Skelly’s appeal should be published at the start of next week.
Fabian Schär (Newcastle United, serious foul play), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace, serious foul play) and Jhon Durán (Aston Villa, violent conduct) have seen appeals turned down this season.
Police have launched investigations into “threats and abuse” aimed at Oliver and his family after the controversial red card.
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean took a step away from the game for a short period in 2021 after reporting death threats to the police. It came after he sent off West Ham United midfielder Tomás Soucek against Fulham.