PGMOL sent direct warning after Myles Lewis-Skelly Arsenal red card controversy vs Wolves
A former Premier League referee has issued their verdict on Myles Lewis-Skelly's sending off in Arsenal's win over Wolves.
Lewis-Skelly was shown a red card by referee Michael Oliver as the Gunners claimed a 1-0 victory at Molineux. Even though Arsenal maintained their six-point gap from leaders Liverpool in the Premier League title race, the decision to hand Lewis-Skelly a red card has been the subject of fierce debate in the football world.
The aftermath of the decision saw the Premier League and the PGMOL release a statement explaining why Lewis-Skelly was given his marching orders by Oliver.
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"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 read.
Days later, the PGMOL have been sent a message by former Premier League referee Jeff Winter, who believes that it was the wrong decision to dismiss Lewis-Skelly.
"You might expect me to say, 'That was a red card,' because I’ve just argued these fouls deserve more than a yellow," Winter told Grosvenor Casino.
"But we have to consider consistency. These incidents happen every week and I’m sure the PGMOL will justify the red card.
"Let’s break it down. A sending-off isn’t always for denying a break—it often happens in a team’s own half or just beyond the halfway line.
"For a red card to be given, there has to be excessive force. That’s where the debate lies: what’s the difference between a trip and a kick? It’s about force.
"The PGMOL are defending this by saying the foul was high and violent. But I’m sorry, we see tackles like this every week that aren’t deemed violent. Even in this game, there was another tackle with more force that only resulted in a yellow card.
"So here’s my take: under the current interpretation of the laws, it should’ve been a yellow card . I disagree with those laws, but based on them, it wasn’t a red. That’s my position—caught in the middle. But I’ll shout from the rooftops: something has to be done about this."
Winter went on to offer a warning to the PGMOL and the way the Premier League could be affected by some refereeing decisions.
"I can’t remember a decision this season causing such a stir," said Winter. "Every week, we discuss contentious decisions, but the uproar around this one has been unprecedented.
"When everyone is shouting about a decision, surely the PGMOL needs to listen. But they don’t seem interested. Instead, they’re defending the referee and offering justifications that don’t sit well with most people. It’s a case of 'us versus them,' and it’s becoming a regular occurrence.
"In my opinion, this was the wrong decision. I’d like to see changes to the rules, as I said earlier. But when everyone says it wasn’t a red card and the authorities can’t offer clear justification, it just creates a bigger rift between referees and the rest of the game."
