A controversial red card to teenage talent Myles Lewis-Skelly wasn’t enough to derail Arsenal as they eked out a 1-0 win over ten-man Wolves.
Riccardo Calafiori, who came on at half-time, was the Gunners’ saviour at Molineux with a driven strike from inside the box in the 74th minute.
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The Italian was on hand to sweep home after Wolves failed to deal with Gabriel Martinelli’s cross from the right flank.
A brief VAR check was conducted to assess whether Kai Havertz was offside but the goal stood.
However, the contest was stained by the red card to Lewis-Skelly just before half time.
The 18-year-old was sent off by referee Michael Oliver late in the first half when he caught Wolves’ Matt Doherty with a deliberate trip.
However, it sparked mass confusion, as a challenge of this nature would almost always be punished with a yellow card.
The fact Doherty was brought down as Wolves looked to break away following an Arsenal corner left some suspecting whether the red card was due to Lewis-Skelly denying a goalscoring opportunity, despite the incident taking place 90 yards from goal.
But the Premier League Match Centre account on X clarified the reason.
“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 account wrote.
Oliver’s decision left Arsenal’s stars incensed as they surrounded the official in an unsuccessful attempt to get the decision overturned.
Such was the aggressive nature of Arsenal’s protest, Jurrien Timber picked up a booking.
Reacting live on talkSPORT, ex-Arsenal forward Perry Groves said the ‘ridiculous’ decision drew gasps from everyone inside Molineux.
“That’s one of the most ridiculous red cards I’ve ever seen,” Groves said at half-time.
“It’s a trip. Everybody in the stadium took a breath. Everyone went, ‘What!?’
“They couldn’t believe it. They’ll try and justify it some way. They’ll say serious foul play. It isn’t.
“It’s a professional foul. Yellow card. I think the VAR – Darren England – is frightened of Michael Oliver. Because Oliver is higher up.
“He should be saying, ‘ Go and have a look’. I’m absolutely amazed. If that’s a red card, the game is gone.
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“It’s not a straight leg tackle. It’s not a studs up tackle. It’s a trip.”
It is not the first time this season Oliver dished out a controversial red card to an Arsenal player.
He was the one who brandished a second yellow card for Leandro Trossard during the Gunners’ dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester City in September.
The Belgian’s offence was that he kicked the ball away to delay a restart following his foul on City’s Bernardo Silva.
Oliver was also the centre of controversy in February 2022 when he sent off Gabriel Martinelli in the same fixture.
Martinelli committed two yellow card offences in the space of just seven seconds, prompting Oliver’s shock call.
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Luckily for the Gunners, they were brought back to an even playing field when Wolves’ Joao Gomes picked up a second yellow card in the 70th minute.
The Brazilian committed an ugly challenge on Timber that could have easily been given a straight red, with the tackle prompting a furious reaction from Wolves boss Vitor Pereira on the sidelines.
With both sides down to ten, it took just four minutes for Calafiori to break the deadlock and secure a vital three points for the Gunners in their bid to keep pace with Liverpool.
Arsenal’s win kept them in second on 47 points while Liverpool remain top on 53 points thanks to their 4-1 battering of Ipswich Town at Anfield.
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