The English Football Association (FA) has overturned Myles Lewis-Skelly’s three-match ban after accepting Arsenal’s appeal against his dismissal during last weekend’s match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The 18-year-old left-back was shown a straight red card by referee Michael Oliver just before halftime in Saturday’s game at Molineux. Lewis-Skelly fouled Matt Doherty by deliberately tripping him to halt a counter-attack, a move he likely expected to be penalized with a yellow card.
However, Oliver, with VAR assistance from Darren England, deemed the tackle as “serious foul play,” resulting in the red card.
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta strongly contested the decision, and the club filed an appeal on Tuesday. In a statement released later that day, Arsenal confirmed that the FA agreed with their stance, declaring that an independent Regulatory Commission had ruled the dismissal to be wrongful and had lifted the three-match suspension.
As a result, Lewis-Skelly will be available for Sunday’s high-profile Premier League clash with Manchester City and the upcoming Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle United.
While the FA’s ruling is a relief for Arsenal, the controversy surrounding the original decision has continued to stir anger online. Referee Michael Oliver has reportedly received death threats and will be absent from officiating Arsenal’s next league match against Manchester City due to security concerns.
