Howard Webb defends referee Michael Oliver over Myles Lewis-Skelly red card decision
Howard Webb has stated that Myles Lewis-Skelly's red card against Wolves was the wrong decision but defended referee Michael Oliver, saying it was not a "horrendous" one. The red card was later overturned after an Arsenal appeal, with the club fined £65,000 for their reaction. Webb explained, “Clearly the referee on the day felt the actions of Myles Lewis-Skelly, he saw the player moving in towards an opponent without any ability or intention of playing the ball, with the intention of stopping the opponent.”
Webb believes VAR should have intervened, as the contact from Lewis-Skelly was not serious foul play but rather a glancing blow. "For serious foul play, we need excessive force or brutality, and what we see here is that high contact just glancing and coming off the leg quite quickly," Webb stated. "So, on balance, we would rather this had been a yellow card.”
He added that VAR’s reluctance to intervene was understandable, noting, “The VAR didn’t want to re-referee the situation, they were mindful of the referee’s call standing unless it is clearly and obviously wrong. They felt it wasn’t at that level on the day.”
Webb also condemned the abuse directed at Oliver and the officials, calling it "wholly unacceptable." He said, “Nobody should be subject to threats, their families shouldn’t be subject to threats—whether that be officials or players. It’s really disappointing when you see that kind of behaviour.”
