Alan Shearer launches furious VAR rant after Michael Oliver and Arsenal red card controversy
Alan Shearer launches furious VAR rant after Michael Oliver and Arsenal red card controversy
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Alan Shearer has torn into VAR after Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off in Arsenal's win over Wolves, branding it as "one of the worst decisions I've seen in a long time". The Gunners star, 18, was shown a straight red card for catching Wolves defender Matt Doherty above the ankle outside the opposition penalty area, stopping a counter-attack.
Lewis-Skelly and his Arsenal team-mates were stunned to see Michael Oliver produce a red card, although the Premier League issued a statement explaining that VAR had reviewed the incident and backed the referee's verdict of dismissal for serious foul play.
That hasn't stopped criticism from pundits, though, and Shearer was particularly scathing of VAR official Darren England on BBC Radio 5 Live. "As a referee you can get it wrong on the pitch, you might see something which is incorrect," raged the popular Match of the Day pundit.
"How on earth Darren England, the VAR, thinks that the referee has got that right and there is no need to send him to the screen.". Despite Lewis-Skelly's early bath, Arsenal rallied to win the game. Riccardo Calafiori struck just four minutes after Joao Gomes also saw red for the home side in the second half.
Join the debate! Do you think Lewis-Skelly should have seen red for Arsenal? Let us know here. But Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was still visibly frustrated after the match. When he was quizzed about the incident by Sky Sports, he refused to speak too much on the call, but the Spaniard had no issue with expressing just how angry he was with the decision.
