Arsenal see red: controversial cards for Lewis-Skelly and McCabe in eventful weekend

In an eventful weekend for Arsenal Football Club, two red cards in as many days for both senior teams resulted in opposing 1-0 score lines.

On Saturday 25th January, eighteen-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly’s first senior dismissal just before the half time whistle sparked major controversy online. Riccardo Calafiori’s second Premier League goal ultimately saw the gunners take all three points at Molineux after Wolves’ Joao Gomes had also seen red.

The following day, Arsenal’s top-of-the-table clash at Stamford Bridge in the Women’s Super League saw Katie McCabe also receive a straight red card, but in the 82nd minute. Arsenal went on to lose 1-0 to an 84th minute Guro Reiten penalty.

Lewis-Skelly was grateful for a successful appeal and the ban overturned

Oliver’s dismissal of Lewis-Skelly for a foul outside the Wolves penalty area was confirmed by VAR as “serious foul play”. Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer said it was “never, ever a red card”, and “one of the worst decisions I’ve seen in a long time.”

Facing a three-match ban that would include the juggernaut clash against Manchester City on February 2nd, Lewis-Skelly was grateful for a successful appeal and the ban overturned as he went on to score a crucial goal in Arsenal’s 5-1 win over their rivals.

The police have launched an investigation into online abuse and threats launched at Oliver and his family in the post-match fallout. In a statement, the PGMOL said “We are supporting Michael, and all those affected, and are determined to tackle this unacceptable behaviour.”

At Stamford Bridge on Sunday 26th January, Arsenal faced Chelsea in the WSL with slim title hopes on the line. Seemingly out of the WSL title race as early as October after a poor run that saw them draw 0-0 with Everton, Arsenal Head Coach Jonas Eidevall resigned after a 2-1 loss in the reverse fixture.

There was confusion initially about the length of ban McCabe would face

Since then, their near-perfect form under first Interim and now Head Coach Renee Slegers made their match-up with Chelsea an opportunity to revive their title hopes from almost nothing. The chance to narrow the deficit to four points with 10 games left wasn’t taken, with Reiten’s decider opening up a ten-point chasm and placing Arsenal firmly in a race for one of two Champions League qualification spots.

There was confusion initially about the length of ban McCabe would face, with it at first seeming she had received two yellow cards in quick succession. The PGMOL later confirmed that the yellow was instantly upgraded to a straight red for dissent to the referee.

McCabe was frustrated with having been sent off in what The Guardian described as “one moment of madness [that cost Arsenal] dearly”.