Arsenal have appealed against Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card against Wolves and their game at home to Manchester City on Sunday will not be officiated by the referee at the centre of that controversy, Michael Oliver.
Lewis-Skelly, 18, became the third-youngest player dismissed in Premier League history when shown a straight red card by Oliver in the first half of Arsenal’s 1-0 win for taking down Matt Doherty in his own half. The decision was met with disbelief by pundits, with Alan Shearer calling it “one of the worst decisions that I’ve seen in a long time”.
Oliver is regarded as one of the world’s top officials but has faced threats and abuse since the sending-off. The 39-year-old’s home is reportedly under police guard after threats towards him and his family, which have been condemned by his employer, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
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Oliver will officiate the Ipswich v Southampton match on Saturday. Before that, he will be in charge for the Champions League match between Barcelona and Atalanta on Wednesday night. Arsenal travel to Girona.
Oliver’s red card was reviewed and upheld by the VAR Darren England, who on Saturday will referee the match between Bournemouth and Liverpool.
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The Referees’ Association chairman, Paul Field, has said that, in his view, former player pundits are the biggest contributors to the social media “pile-ons” affecting his organisation’s members.
