Myles Lewis-Skelly was given a red card in Arsenal’s Premier League game against Wolves after VAR deemed his trip on Matt Doherty to be an act of serious foul play.
The Gunners were reduced to 10 men three minutes before half-time when Doherty was felled by the teenage left-back on the edge of his own penalty area.
A yellow card appeared to be the most likely outcome, but Oliver stunned the visiting team by brandishing a red card.
Arsenal would’ve felt confident that VAR would overturn the on-field decision but enjoyed no such luck.
Players surrounded Oliver in an attempt to get the official to change his mind but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
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Arsenal have history with PGMOL’s most highly rated official who dismissed Gabriel Martinelli at the same venue three years ago for two bookable offences in the space of 20 seconds.
Oliver was also heavily criticised for refusing to hand Mateo Kovacic a second yellow card for a dangerous challenge on Declan Rice duirng last season’s game between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates.
‘FFS… another absolutely ridiculous red card. Lewis-Skelly sent off for a trip, just a nonsense decision,’ fumed Arsenal fan Piers Morgan on X.
‘The only thing worse than Michael Oliver making that terrible decision was VAR backing him up.’
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‘Neither of them is fit for purpose if they think that’s a red card.
Morgan’s view was upheld, in slightly more diplomatic fashion, by BBC pundit Pat Nevin.
‘You are not going to believe this,’ said the former Chelsea and Everton winger. ‘If this is for a goal scoring chance – Myles Lewis-Skelly is only 10 yards outside the opposition’s box.
‘It must be for violent conduct, but that doesn’t look like violent conduct. It’s a cynical trip. I have never seen that in my life life. I am stunned by a red card.’
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