Arsenal fans say VAR missed crucial moment before Myles Lewis-Skelly's red card
Myles Lewis-Skelly might have received a reprieve from referee Craig Pawson had VAR shown him an angle of Mohammed Kudus elbowing the Arsenal left-back in the head
by Felix Keith · The MirrorArsenal supporters believe that Myles Lewis-Skelly should not have been sent off against West Ham because Mohammed Kudus fouled him first.
Lewis-Skelly was sent off in the second half of Arsenal’s damaging 1-0 defeat by West Ham on Saturday after bringing down Kudus as the last man. The left-back was originally shown a yellow card by referee Craig Pawson, but VAR recommended an on-field review and the card was upgraded to a red.
The PGMOL later clarified writing: “VAR checked the referee’s call of yellow card to Lewis-Skelly for a challenge on Kudus – deeming it denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity due to the goalkeeper’s position and there being no covering defender, therefore recommended an on-field review. The referee then upgraded the yellow to a red card.”
The decision left the Gunners with an uphill battle to try and get back into the game, something they couldn’t manage. Pundits seemed satisfied with the call, believing Lewis-Skelly to have made a rash decision to challenge Kudus for the ball, but Arsenal fans have spotted something they think was missed.
In the moments before the 18-year-old lunged in to try and win the ball from the West Ham forward, he appeared to catch an elbow from Kudus. Arsenal fans therefore think he should have been awarded a free-kick which would have negated the following incident.
“This changes my opinion on the red because Kudus didn’t get the ball at all – that elbow makes Lewis-Skelly lose the ball,” one fan wrote on Reddit underneath a GIF of the incident. Another added: “I’m not suggesting that MLS didn’t foul Kudus, but why allow any room for discussion after the review? Do a thorough job, for goodness sake.”
“See, this is why I instinctively thought the foul was on MLS. He shields the ball, and gets clobbered, and Kudus almost gets free with it,” a third wrote. Another fan concluded: “It is an elbow to the head that directly leads to his gaining this position. It happens, so I say this more in defense of MLS than it being missed as some egregious oversight.”
HAVE YOUR SAY! What do you think of the decision? Comment below.
Speaking after the game, Mikel Arteta decided not to focus on the red card. Asked if he had any complaints, he replied: “No, I haven't seen it back but honestly, I will focus on what we have to do. I don't know if the decision was right or wrong, I haven't seen it, I don't want to evaluate it, but a lot of the things that we should have done better today, it wasn't.”
Jarrod Bowen’s goal was the difference between the two sides at the Emirates Stadium and defeat leaves Arsenal eight points behind Liverpool. Arne Slot ’s side can increase their lead when they play Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package
£35 (was £43)
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.