"It was a disaster" - Former Premier League referee blasts VAR official Arsenal red card vs Wolverhampton
Former FIFA and UEFA referee Keith Hackett has criticized Premier League official Michael Oliver for giving Myles Lewis-Skelly a red card during Arsenal's 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, January 25, at the Molineux Stadium.
Referee Michael Oliver showed Myles Lewis-Skelly a straight red card in the 43rd minute after the 18-year-old caught Matt Doherty above the ankle at the edge of the Wolves box. It happened while the Wolves were starting a counter-attack from their box after Arsenal lost possession on a corner kick, nearly 70 yards away from the Gunners' goal.
The video assistant referee (VAR) later upheld Michael Oliver's decision to show Myles Lewis-Skelly a red card. Reacting to the decision, former referee Keith Hackett slammed Oliver.
He wrote on X:
"It's Arsenal and once again they are at the end of a very poor refereeing decision. Michael Oliver- that is not a red card and if I was you I would tell Webb that you do not want to work with your VAR Darren England. Between you it was a disaster to send off that Arsenal player."
The Gunners managed to win the match 1-0 despite playing with 10 players in the second half. The referee also sent off Wolverhampton's Joao Gomes in the 70th minute. Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori scored the winner for Mikel Arteta's side in the 74th minute, helping the Gunners secure three points.
Arsenal frontrunners to sign Norwegian midfielder amid interest from other Premier League sides: Reports
Arsenal are reportedly leading Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in the race to sign Rosenberg midfielder Sverre Nypan, as per a report from TBR Football. The Norwegian midfielder was promoted to the senior team in 2022.
Since then, he has played 60 matches for Rosenberg's senior team, scoring 13 and assisting 11 goals across all competitions. According to the aforementioned report, Arsenal has long admired Sverre Nypan and are confident about convincing the 18-year-old to join them.
His contract with Rosenberg will expire in the summer of 2026 but the Norwegian side has allowed Nypan to decide his career and join the club of his choice until they receive a fee of at least £10 million.
