Arsenal Football Club has been formally charged by the Football Association (FA) for failing to maintain control over their players following the controversial dismissal of Myles Lewis-Skelly during their recent Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The incident occurred at the Molineux Stadium on Saturday, 25 January, provoking a vehement protest from Arsenal players against referee Michael Oliver’s decision, which was later rescinded after an appeal.
The FA’s statement detailed the charge: “Arsenal FC has been charged following an incident where its players encircled a match official during their Premier League fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.
The club is accused of not ensuring its players conducted themselves in a proper manner around the 43rd minute of the match. Arsenal FC has been given until Monday, 3 February to respond.”
Lewis-Skelly was initially sent off for what was deemed serious foul play after a tackle on Wolves’ Matt Doherty just before the half-time break, a decision that was supported by the VAR review.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, along with several football pundits including Alan Shearer, who described it as “one of the worst decisions I’ve seen in a long time,” contested the call vehemently.
The FA subsequently published its rationale for overturning the red card on Thursday, stating that the commission unanimously found that the referee had erred in assessing Lewis-Skelly’s action as “serious foul play.”
The FA clarified, “While the challenge constituted ‘Foul Play,’ it was not deemed ‘Serious Foul Play’ as it did not endanger the safety of the opponent, nor did it involve excessive force or brutality.”
