Former Professional Game Match Officials Limited chief Keith Hackett has taken aim at Craig Pawson after he sent off Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly on Saturday. The Gunners’ title charge took a big hit at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon as West Ham United claimed a 1-0 win.
Jarrod Bowen scored the only goal of the game before Lewis-Skelly was sent off to leave the Gunners eight points behind Liverpool with 12 matches remaining. The 18-year-old brought down Mohammed Kudus as the Ghanaian looked to be on a counter-attack.
Initially, referee Pawson gave the youngster a yellow card, but this was soon changed to a red as VAR thought that Lewis-Skelly had denied a goal-scoring opportunity. Reacting to the decision, Hackett couldn’t believe that Pawson didn’t initially issue a red card.
“Here is another massive error,” he told Football Insider. “This time Craig Pawson fails to issue a red card for a clear denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
“Thankfully VAR intervened and the player was correctly issued with red. How did this referee not see that the offence fulfilled DOGSO? Should not have had to intervene.”
Speaking after the game, Gunners boss Arteta said: “It’s not in our hands. I am really, really annoyed with the things that are in our hands – which is the performance and the result – and we didn’t do that as well as we possibly could.
“I am very disappointed, and obviously very angry as well. Even though we had 20 shots, I never felt that we were at the standard and the level that we needed.”
