A hotly debated VAR decision to uphold a red card for Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly in their loss to Wolves has sparked a firestorm of controversy around the consistency and quality of Premier League officiating. The 19-year-old midfielder was given his marching orders by referee Michael Oliver in the 43rd minute for a challenge on Wolves’ Matt Doherty that was deemed to be serious foul play.
The dismissal came at a critical juncture, with the match still goalless. Arsenal went on to lose 1-0, dealing a blow to their top four ambitions. Manager Gabriel Oliveira was apoplectic on the touchline, and pundits have been quick to lambast what many perceive as an overly harsh call that was erroneously supported by the video assistant referee.
Examining the Controversial Call
On initial viewing, Lewis-Skelly’s challenge appeared to be a clear trip as Doherty broke forward, but lacking the excessive force or endangerment that would constitute serious foul play and merit a straight red. Oliver saw it differently in real-time, deeming there to be studs-up contact to Doherty’s shin.
VAR official Darren England upheld Oliver’s assessment upon review. According to VAR protocol, if the on-field referee gives an accurate description that is supported by the video evidence, the original decision should stand. In this case, a single freeze frame seemed to show minor contact above the ankle.
Failure to Consider Full Context?
However, many have argued this still image fails to convey the full nature of the incident. Viewed in motion, Lewis-Skelly’s challenge appears more of an innocuous trip than serious foul play. The force and intensity of the contact is lacking when not viewed in isolation.
This is far from being the egregious decision it was painted as. But the red card should have been downgraded to yellow on review.
Dale Johnson, ESPN
While PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Board) has expressed a desire to crack down on challenges that endanger player safety, critics contend this is an extremely low bar that is inconsistent with how similar incidents have been handled. Many more dangerous tackles have gone unpunished.
Comparisons to Past Incidents
Although no two scenarios are identical, Lewis-Skelly’s sending off has drawn comparisons to previous borderline calls, some of which also involved Arsenal:
- October 2022: Emerson Royal red carded for catching Gabriel Martinelli on the shin with his studs in a reckless but non-egregious challenge
- October 2016: Granit Xhaka dismissed for a high lunge on Modou Barrow that made contact but did not cause serious injury
Neither of these decisions were overturned on appeal, indicating a lack of consistency in how such incidents are evaluated by officiating bodies. This has only fueled the sense of injustice felt by Arsenal supporters in the wake of Lewis-Skelly’s sending off.
Wider Implications for Premier League Refereeing
Beyond the specifics of this one controversial call, the Lewis-Skelly red card decision has reignited a broader conversation around standards and consistency in Premier League officiating, even in the VAR era. Many feel there remains far too much subjectivity and variability in how rules are applied from match to match and referee to referee.
When Lewis-Skelly gets a straight red card for a challenge which usually only results in a yellow, then you have to accept there are going to be questions of consistency.
Dale Johnson, ESPN
The Premier League’s high-intensity style of play makes adjudicating physical challenges inherently difficult. But fans and pundits are increasingly calling for clearer, more consistent guidelines and a greater degree of common sense in officiating decisions, especially when it comes to game-changing calls like red cards.
As for Lewis-Skelly and Arsenal, they now await the ruling of an independent regulatory commission, which will decide whether to uphold the three-match ban. While PGMOL will likely argue the decision was justified, the club may quietly fancy their chances of winning an appeal, given the tenor of the reaction.
Regardless of the outcome, though, this latest refereeing controversy has made one thing abundantly clear – the Premier League still has significant work to do in establishing a VAR system that delivers consistency, credibility, and justice for players and clubs. The integrity of the competition depends on it.
