Arsenal supporters have been left laughing in disbelief after it was revealed that 17-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly was booked for ‘unsporting behaviour’ by Michael Oliver during their intense 2-2 draw against Manchester City – for speaking to David Raya.
The teenager received the caution without having even stepped onto the pitch, with many Arsenal fans reacting with sheer amusement at how absurd the decision was.
The incident occurred in the 65th minute when Arsenal were winning 2-1. Lewis-Skelly, warming up behind David Raya’s goal line, appeared to give a message to the Arsenal goalkeeper.
Moments later, Raya fell to the ground, requiring the game to be stopped.
Michael Oliver, despite missing quite a lot on the pitch, apparently spotted the interaction, and issued a yellow card to Lewis-Skelly, despite the fact that he had returned to the group of substitutes by the time he was booked and Oliver could have no way of knowing what had been said.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) confirmed after the game that Lewis-Skelly was booked for ‘showing a lack of respect for the game’ under the unsporting behaviour category of the laws.
Many Arsenal supporters saw this as yet another bizarre and inconsistent refereeing decision from Michael Oliver.
Arsenal fans’ frustrations turn to laughter
For many Arsenal fans, this latest decision was so ludicrous it was almost comical. Over the years, Oliver’s officiating has been the subject of intense criticism, with Arsenal supporters frequently pointing out examples of him favouring their opponents, especially Manchester City.
Lewis-Skelly’s booking made little sense, especially compared to similar incidents involving City players that went unpunished.
Haaland escapes punishment for ball-throwing incident
Adding to the absurdity, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland will not face any punishment after being caught on camera throwing a ball at Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães during City’s late equaliser celebration.
Haaland’s action went unnoticed by referee Michael Oliver and the VAR team, prompting ex-referee Mark Halsey to remark on the Whistleblower podcast, “You could argue it’s violent conduct… he can count himself very lucky that [referee] Michael Oliver didn’t see that and VAR didn’t pick it up either.”
So, he didn’t see that, but saw Lewis-Skelly’s lips so closely he was able to lip-read?
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright expressed his disbelief on social media, stating, “The one thing that boiled me up properly was Haaland’s coward’s move… Throwing the ball in Gabi’s head when he’s not looking. When Gabi’s back’s turned to him. Real coward’s move.”
Arsenal’s incredible resilience overshadowed
Despite leading 2-1 for a significant part of the match, Arsenal were forced to battle with 10 men after Leandro Trossard was controversially sent off just before half-time. The Gunners showed incredible resilience in the second half, with Mikel Arteta later describing their defensive effort as a “miracle”.
However, John Stones’ injury-time equaliser denied them a much-needed victory.
Arsenal fans left the Etihad shaking their heads, not just at the result but at the seemingly inconsistent application of the rules by Oliver.
Riccardo Calafiori criticises Michael Oliver stealing the spotlight
Comparisons were immediately drawn to past incidents, like the recent instance where Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai was not punished by the same referee for kicking the ball away despite being on a yellow card, the same offence that got Trossard sent off.
Michael Oliver’s Trossard red inconsistency shown in prior incident
A pattern of bias?
In total, Oliver has sent off seven Arsenal players in 60 games while awarding them just five penalties, compared to 11 penalties awarded to Manchester City in 57 matches and only one sending off for City in all those games.
This disparity has only served to deepen Arsenal fans’ belief that Oliver treats their team differently, with many seeing it as a running joke at this point.
Oliver’s decision to book Lewis-Skelly before he had even stepped onto the pitch, combined with his leniency towards Haaland, has left many Arsenal fans laughing at how the rules are applied to both sides.
Conclusion
Arsenal’s performance against Manchester City was brave, disciplined, and worthy of more than a point.
However, once again, they found themselves on the wrong end of a series of questionable refereeing decisions that have become all too familiar when Michael Oliver is involved.
This time, however, the sheer absurdity of the situation has left fans laughing rather than angry, wondering what new levels of ridiculousness they might witness next.