Premier League issues statement on Lewis-Skelly's red card

The match took a turn for the worse for Mikel Arteta's team in the 73rd minute when Myles Lewis-Skelly fouled Mohammed Kudus in a decisive moment. The teenager lost possession near the halfway line while Arsenal were pushing for an equaliser, allowing Kudus to break free with goalkeeper David Raya stranded far from his goal.

In an attempt to recover the ball, Lewis-Skelly lunged in but made minimal contact, bringing Kudus down. Initially shown a yellow card by referee Craig Pawson, the decision was reviewed by VAR and subsequently upgraded to a red, as officials deemed it a denial of an "obvious goal-scoring opportunity".

The Premier League later released a statement explaining the call, highlighting the goalkeeper's position and the lack of covering defenders as key factors in the decision.

"VAR checked the referee’s call of yellow card to Lewis-Skelly for a challenge on Kudus – deeming its denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity due to the goalkeeper's position and there being no covering defender, therefore recommended an on-field review. The referee then upgraded the yellow to a red card," the English league stated.

This is not the first time Lewis-Skelly has been sent off in the Premier League, adding to what has been a frustrating period for the Arsenal youngster.