Michael Oliver praised for ‘clever’ Wolves v Arsenal decision which means club ‘can’t appeal’ red card

Jason Soutar
Michael Oliver shows a red card to Joao Gomes
Michael Oliver shows a red card to Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes

Michael Oliver was “clever” not to show Wolves’ Joao Gomes a straight red card for his challenge on Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber, according to a former Premier League referee.

Gomes was sent off four minutes before Riccardo Calafiori’s winner for Arsenal in Saturday’s Premier League match at Molineux.

The biggest talking point from the match was not that red card or Calafiori’s goal, but another sending off.

Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly was shown a straight red card in the first half for a cynical trip on Wolves full-back Matt Doherty on the edge of the Gunners’ box.

Referee Oliver has been the subject of horrendous abuse and death threats as a result, with many Arsenal fans reacting in a completely psychotic manner.

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Arsenal will likely appeal the decision – which even Dermot Gallagher agreed was incorrect – and should have Lewis-Skelly available for their next Premier League match against Manchester City.

Wolves will not be able to appeal the Gomes sending off given it was a second yellow card and not a straight red card.

Oliver’s decision not to brandish a straight red to the Brazilian has been deemed “clever” by ex-Premier League referee Keith Hackett, who praised Oliver for apparently realising this in the heat of the moment and showing a yellow first.

“There’s no question for me this was clearly a potential straight red,” Hackett told Football Insider. “But what they do, they’re clever referees. If you give a straight red, there’s the opportunity to appeal.

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“So he knows he’s on a second yellow, that’s a really big second yellow that could easily on its own be a red, but the referee’s offering yellow so there’s no appeal.

“So that’s the basis of their thinking sometimes, that’s come out in discussions in the past: ‘I’ll give him a second yellow and that way he’s going off, and he can’t appeal.”

As touched on, Dermot Gallagher agreed with angry Arsenal fans that Lewis-Skelly should not have been sent off.

“I don’t think it’s the worst decision in the world like people say, if you look at it where Michael Oliver is, he feels and still does feel like he goes down his Achilles,” he told Sky Sports News.

“If he thinks he goes down his Achilles, referees are told now a tackle with the studs down the Achilles has got to be a red card.

“I don’t think he does, you look at that and it happens very very quickly and you see where the referee is and he sees it very quickly.

“For me personally, I think it’s a yellow card for stopping a promising attack. Look at this, is it with brutality? Is it with malice? Is it gaining intensity or speed? I think not.”

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