How Raya & Saliba’s Positioning Led to Lewis-Skelly’s Red Card

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Myles Lewis-Skelly, just 18 years old, has played only 12 Premier League games but has already received two red cards.
Image credit: afcstuff

Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to West Ham was marred by Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card, a decision that has sparked debate.

The Premier League has now provided an explanation, citing the roles of goalkeeper David Raya and defender William Saliba in the incident.

The Incident

West Ham secured their victory with a first-half goal from Jarrod Bowen. As Arsenal pressed for an equalizer, Mikel Arteta introduced 18-year-old Lewis-Skelly as a substitute.

In the 70th minute, he fouled Mohammed Kudus near the halfway line and was initially shown a yellow card.

However, after a VAR review, referee Craig Pawson upgraded it to a straight red for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

The Explanation

According to the Premier League Match Centre, Lewis-Skelly’s foul qualified as a last-man challenge because of Raya’s aggressive positioning off his line and Saliba’s distance from the play.

Since Raya was too far forward to act as the last line of defense and Saliba was on the opposite side of the pitch, Kudus had a clear path to goal, leading to the red card decision.

Arsenal’s Discipline Concerns

Lewis-Skelly’s sending-off was Arsenal’s fifth red card of the season, adding to Arteta’s concerns about discipline.

Notably, this was not the youngster’s first red card of the campaign—he was sent off against Wolves last month, though that decision was later overturned on appeal.

What’s Next?

With Lewis-Skelly suspended, Arsenal will be without him for their upcoming Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. Arteta will need to manage his squad carefully as they aim to bounce back.

Will Arsenal appeal the decision again, or will this red card stand? Fans and pundits will be watching closely.

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