Refereeing

ARSENAL fans have spotted the moment Mikel Arteta shot Michael Oliver a “death stare” after the ref’s red card blunder. The Gunners boss was left “absolutely fuming” after Myles Lewis-Skelly was dismissed in the 1-0 win over Wolves on Saturday. Mikel Arteta was livid with ref Michael Oliver following his team’s 1-0 win at WolvesCredit: PAOliver sent off teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly during the first half at MolineuxCredit: PAArteta was filmed shaking hands with Oliver following the gameCredit: XBut he was spotted throwing him a ‘death stare’ before going to celebrate with the Arsenal fansCredit: XOliver gave the teenager a straight red after he felled Wolves defender Matt Doherty on the counter. The “ridiculous” decision has since been called out by Arteta, Match of the Day pundits and even the former head of the PGMOL Keith Hackett. Footage has now emerged following the contest showing Arteta shaking hands with Oliver after the final whistle. The Arsenal boss moves away from the officials to go celebrate with the travelling support from North London.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLBut just as he goes to do so, Arteta stops in his tracks and looks intensely back at the 39-year-old whistler. The footage quickly went viral on X, where it was viewed over 325,000 times.One fan wrote in response: “I would REALLY like to know what Michael Oliver said to Arteta here. That pause and look back, he was evaluating his next move.”Another said: “Always fear the Arteta death stare.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSWhile a third commented: “Why did he shake his hand in the first place? Seriously.”And a fourth added: “No Arsenal player or official should ever shake Oliver’s hand, the man should be left with no doubt about how the club feel about him.”Mikel Arteta ‘absolutely fuming’ after controversial Myles Lewis-Skelly red cardArteta attempted to hold his emotions in check following the narrow win on the road, which keeps the Gunners six points behind leaders Liverpool. But he still let his feelings be known in a tense post-match interview with Sky.Arteta raged: “It is that clear and I will leave it to you guys.”I am absolutely fuming. But I will leave it with you, it is that obvious that I don’t think my words are going to help.”[Lewis-Skelly] is really happy now that the team won and found a way to win it. “He is very worried about what’s coming next because he’s strongly feeling that there was nothing to do with the action.”Lewis-Skelly was sent off for bringing down Matt Doherty, a challenge that was deemed serious foul playMARK HALSEY: Questions have to be asked of VAR after Lewis-Skelly sending off… here’s what SHOULD have happenedBy Mark HalseyVAR Darren England should have recommended a review as soon as referee Michael Oliver showed Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly a straight red card for his challenge on Wolves’ Matt Doherty.An official has to decide whether the challenge was careless or reckless — careless is a free-kick only, reckless is a yellow card — or worthy of a red card.When a player lunges at an opponent with one or two feet from the front, the side or from the back which endangers the player’s safety with excess force or/and brutality, it must be sanctioned with a red.I saw it as a reckless challenge worthy of a yellow, not a red.So why did Darren not recommend a review? Once the red card was shown, the VAR should have intervened.If Michael had the opportunity to view the challenge again, I’m sure he would have changed his mind, cancelled the red card and issued a yellow.As for Arsenal fans’ views that Michael is biased against them, I’m not buying into that. You can never question the integrity of a match official and Michael is one of our best referees.Officials cannot get everything right and that is why we have VAR to help. So questions have to be asked of Darren.With the second yellow for Joao Gomes after catching Jurrien Timber on the ankle, you could argue that was a worse challenge than the Lewis-Skelly one.Lewis-Skelly will now face a three-game ban for receiving a straight red card.But former ref Hackett – who was a top whistler between 1981 and 1991 – believes it’s Oliver who needs time away from the field. Speaking on TalkSPORT’s Sunday Edition with Shaun Custis and Henry Winter, Hackett said: “I’d be admitting this morning that this is a major error, that you don’t expect the alleged number one referee to make.”He’s on top of the incident. I think he’s too close and so I think he requires operational advice.”I’d be saying to Michael Oliver, I think you need a rest and I think you’re not going to see another game in the Premier League for a couple of weeks.”Arsenal player ratings: David Raya saves all three-points for Arsenal but Trossard’s woeful deliveries an issue againARSENAL finally won a match with ten-men after Myles Lewis-Skelly was controversially sent off.It was the Gunners’ fourth sending off this season and they had not won any of their matches without 11 players this term.But Arsenal showed their character and battled past Wolves 1-0.Here is how SunSport rated the players’ performances.DAVID RAYA – 8/10Very little to do until the 63rd minute when he brilliantly tipped a deflected Matheus Cunha effort wide. He then stopped Rayan Ait-Nouri in a one-on-one in the 84th minute.MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY – 6Was having another fine game before being the victim of one of most ludicrous red cards in Prem history. His cynical trip was worthy of a yellow and nothing more.WILLIAM SALIBA – 7Arsenal just look so solid with him in this backline. A welcome return from a minor hamstring injury. Kept Cunha at bay.GABRIEL – 7Led from the front and put his body on the line. Constantly headed away from danger.JURRIEN TIMBER – 6Hit with some nasty challenges that required treatment – including one that had Joao Gomes sent off – but carried on playing and was resolute.DECLAN RICE – 7More of a goal threat than in recent weeks and stood up when Arsenal needed him.THOMAS PARTEY – 7Steady Eddie for most parts back in his favoured midfield position after spells at right-back this season. Displayed his importance to this side once more.ETHAN NWANERI – 6Unfortunately made way at half-time as a sacrificial lamb following Lewis-Skelly’s sending off. Was a lively, creative spark in the first-half.LEANDRO TROSSARD – 5In the absence of Bukayo Saka, the Belgian is on corner-taking duty, but his deliveries were woeful. A quiet afternoon that sums up why he is in and out of the team currently.GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 6Was lacking that clinical edge in the first half, but came up with the cross after the break that led to Arsenal’s vital opener.KAI HAVERTZ – 7Missed two glorious first half chances with his head and another in the second half, but worked tirelessly on his own – especially with Arsenal down to ten.SUBS:RICCARDO CALAFIORI (NWANERI, 45) – 8The sort of goal that keeps title dreams alive. Added real height and danger aerially, as well as a sweet volley from a tough angle.KIERAN TIERNEY (MARTINELLI, 87) – N/AHackett was also speechless that Darren England – who was on VAR during the Wolves vs Arsenal game – had been allocated a spot on the official’s list for Sunday’s clash between Crystal Palace and Brentford.He continued: “Darren England’s allocated a game this afternoon at Crystal Palace. “So as VAR, he would not be on that game.”I’m quite clear that there needs to be seen to be a level of accountability.”The Premier League has since issued its own statement defending Oliver and VAR for the decision made on Saturday.It read: “The referee’s call of a red card for Lewis-Skelly was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed his challenge to have been serious foul play.”The statement came after scathing criticism of the decision across the media.READ MORE SUN STORIESBBC 5Live pundit Pat Nevin said labelling such a challenge serious foul play was setting “a bar so low even a limbo dancing snake couldn’t get under it”.While former Tottenham star Jamie O’Hara wrote on X: “I’m all for Arsenal having a beast but that is never ever a red card, one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen.” More

IAN WRIGHT has joined the long-list of former professionals and pundits to be left reeling by the decision to send off Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly on Saturday.Lewis-Skelly, 18, was shown a straight red card under controversial circumstances in the first half of Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Wolves yesterday.Ian Wright has slammed Michael Oliver’s decision to send of Myles Lewis-Skelly against WolvesCredit: Instagram @wrightyofficialReferee Micheal Oliver showed a red to Lewis-Skelly in the first half of Arsenal’s 1-0 winCredit: RexThe youngster tripped up Matt Doherty as Wolves launched a counter attackCredit: PAArsenal players surrounded Michael Oliver in protestCredit: GettyThe decision was checked and not overturned by VARCredit: PAIt is Arsenal’s fourth red card of the seasonCredit: GettyLewis-Skelly was sent for an early bath after tripping Wolves defender Matt Doherty nearly 90 yards away from the Arsenal goal.The cynical challenge left most fans expecting a yellow card, but the Hale End graduate was shown red by referee Michael Oliver instead.Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes led the on-field protests as Arsenal’s players showed their frustration at the decision.And now Gunners icon Ian Wright has weighed in on the incident, claiming that it’s “never a red”.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIn a video posted on social media by the former Premier Legue bagsman, he fumed: “It’s a joke!”Anyone that has ever played the game, and I’m not even talking Premier League, I’m talking five-a-side, Sunday league, knows that it’s never a red.”Yellow card, nobody says a word. Time and time again, this level of refereeing [and] the decisions in the Premier League… the inconsistency, the excuses, the apologies.”All of them are just the centre of attention for me. We can’t criticise too hard because, where are the refs going to come from? Where are we going to get them?Most read in FootballMARK HALSEY: Questions have to be asked of VAR after Lewis-Skelly sending off… here’s what SHOULD have happenedBy Mark HalseyVAR Darren England should have recommended a review as soon as referee Michael Oliver showed Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly a straight red card for his challenge on Wolves’ Matt Doherty.An official has to decide whether the challenge was careless or reckless — careless is a free-kick only, reckless is a yellow card — or worthy of a red card.When a player lunges at an opponent with one or two feet from the front, the side or from the back which endangers the player’s safety with excess force or/and brutality, it must be sanctioned with a red.I saw it as a reckless challenge worthy of a yellow, not a red.So why did Darren not recommend a review? Once the red card was shown, the VAR should have intervened.If Michael had the opportunity to view the challenge again, I’m sure he would have changed his mind, cancelled the red card and issued a yellow.As for Arsenal fans’ views that Michael is biased against them, I’m not buying into that. You can never question the integrity of a match official and Michael is one of our best referees.Officials cannot get everything right and that is why we have VAR to help. So questions have to be asked of Darren.With the second yellow for Joao Gomes after catching Jurrien Timber on the ankle, you could argue that was a worse challenge than the Lewis-Skelly one.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”But I’m sorry, this is the highest level of football and we do not have the highest level of referees. When will the Premier League bring the best refs into the so called ‘best league in the world’?”Because at the moment, with this level of refereeing, we’re nowhere near it. Nowhere near it.”Mikel Arteta ‘absolutely fuming’ after controversial Myles Lewis-Skelly red cardArsenal manager Mikel Arteta claimed he was “fuming” about the decision, but remained calm enough to suggest that he won’t be complaining.Arteta told reporters that he hopes that an appeal won’t even be necessary and that the PGMOL will overturn the decision themselves as they did with Bruno Fernandes’ red card against Tottenham earlier in the season.He said: “It is that clear that I leave it to you guys. I am absolutely fuming but I leave it with you – because it is that obvious. I don’t think my words are going to help.“I think it is that obvious that we don’t need any comments today and hopefully the right thing will happen after today.“Hopefully we don’t need to (appeal) and, if we have [to], it happened and it’s a really good precedent what happened with Bruno this season as well.“So, hopefully, okay we were in a position we shouldn’t be in. At least, let’s be in a position that we should be in for the next few weeks and allow that player to continue to do his job.”Should the decision stand then Lewis-Skelly is set to miss the next three games.Ian Wright wasn’t the only high-profile name to publicly blast Michael Oliver’s decision.Match of the Day host Mark Chapman claimed the red card was “baffling and nonsensical from supposedly one of our best referees”.Alan Shearer blasted it as “one of the worst decisions I’ve seen in a long time”He said: “As a referee, you can get it wrong on the pitch, you might see something which is incorrect. “How on earth Darren England, the VAR, thinks that the referee has got that right and there is no need to send him to the screen is beyond me.”I just cannot see and work out what VAR is thinking going along with Michael Oliver’s decision. No wonder it gets criticised by so many people.”While BBC Five Live pundit Pat Nevin said labelling such a challenge serious foul play was setting “a bar so low even a limbo dancing snake couldn’t get under it”.And even ex-Tottenham star Jamie O’Hara said: “I’m all for Arsenal having a beast but that is never ever a red card, one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen. Jheez lol”.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe Premier League released a statement on X confirming the decision to send off Lewis-Skelly.It read: “The referee’s call of a red card for Lewis-Skelly was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed his challenge to have been serious foul play.”Mikel Arteta said he was ‘fuming’ after the red cardCredit: GettyMark Chapman slammed the decisionCredit: PAPat Nevin also took aim at the officiatingCredit: GettyArsenal player ratings: David Raya saves all three-points for Arsenal but Trossard’s woeful deliveries an issue againARSENAL finally won a match with ten-men after Myles Lewis-Skelly was controversially sent off.It was the Gunners’ fourth sending off this season and they had not won any of their matches without 11 players this term.But Arsenal showed their character and battled past Wolves 1-0.Here is how SunSport rated the players’ performances.DAVID RAYA – 8/10Very little to do until the 63rd minute when he brilliantly tipped a deflected Matheus Cunha effort wide. He then stopped Rayan Ait-Nouri in a one-on-one in the 84th minute.MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY – 6Was having another fine game before being the victim of one of most ludicrous red cards in Prem history. His cynical trip was worthy of a yellow and nothing more.WILLIAM SALIBA – 7Arsenal just look so solid with him in this backline. A welcome return from a minor hamstring injury. Kept Cunha at bay.GABRIEL – 7Led from the front and put his body on the line. Constantly headed away from danger.JURRIEN TIMBER – 6Hit with some nasty challenges that required treatment – including one that had Joao Gomes sent off – but carried on playing and was resolute.DECLAN RICE – 7More of a goal threat than in recent weeks and stood up when Arsenal needed him.THOMAS PARTEY – 7Steady Eddie for most parts back in his favoured midfield position after spells at right-back this season. Displayed his importance to this side once more.ETHAN NWANERI – 6Unfortunately made way at half-time as a sacrificial lamb following Lewis-Skelly’s sending off. Was a lively, creative spark in the first-half.LEANDRO TROSSARD – 5In the absence of Bukayo Saka, the Belgian is on corner-taking duty, but his deliveries were woeful. A quiet afternoon that sums up why he is in and out of the team currently.GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 6Was lacking that clinical edge in the first half, but came up with the cross after the break that led to Arsenal’s vital opener.KAI HAVERTZ – 7Missed two glorious first half chances with his head and another in the second half, but worked tirelessly on his own – especially with Arsenal down to ten.SUBS:RICCARDO CALAFIORI (NWANERI, 45) – 8The sort of goal that keeps title dreams alive. Added real height and danger aerially, as well as a sweet volley from a tough angle.KIERAN TIERNEY (MARTINELLI, 87) – N/A More