Afternoon all.
The big news this lunchtime is that Arsenal have appealed the red card Michael Oliver couldn’t wait to show Myles Lewis-Skelly. Now it’s over to the FA to apply some common sense.
Look at the decision made on the day and not all the photos or slow motion videos which have been produced since. It was a trip with no malice or recklessness involved. Just a cynical tackle which goes on every game day yet seldom, if ever results in an early shower for the perpetrator. Also, I hope the FA look at Oliver’s decision to show Gomes a yellow card for what was a much worse challenge and potential ankle breaker.
There’s a great article on AFC.com which is based on a William Saliba interview with UEFA TV:
I was lucky to grow up in Bondy where many talents have come from. Thanks to Kylian Mbappe and others at AS Bondy, several scouts came to watch us at the age of 12. I was quite excited when I saw them – I would say: ‘This is my only chance to get out of here.’ I told myself that I wanted to become a professional footballer, but honestly playing for Arsenal one day was beyond my wildest dreams but that’s how fate works out sometimes. I remember that we went to buy a shirt and I got Thierry Henry’s name on the back. I grew up watching him play – I watched videos rather than full matches because I didn’t have the Premier League channel, but sometimes I was lucky enough to watch them in the Champions League. That’s when my liking for Thierry and the club began.
Thank you Thierry…
Saliba and Gabriel have grown together to form a formidable central defensive pairing and those either side of them aren’t too shabby either. Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Honestly, I think we now have the strongest back four since the Adams, Winterburn, Dixon and Bould era. I’ve not included Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko because one is out of contract in the summer and both are linked with a move away this month.
Did Saliba ever think about leaving during his time out on loan?
I couldn’t leave the club without playing a game. Even if you think you deserve to play, IF the head coach doesn’t pick you that’s just the way it is. I learnt from this and came back stronger.
Compare his attitude to players like Ayden Heaven who clearly thinks his chance of playing first team football at Man Utd will come sooner than it would at Arsenal, Chido Obi-Martin too who also jumped off the Arsenal ship for Utd. The irony is though, had Obi-Martin stayed, he’d have probably found himself in the first team by now.
There’s a song I love, see if you know it from these lyrics – “ the other man’s grass is always greener, the sun shines brighter on the other side” – well, the grass isn’t always green and for these two young footballers, I hope that proves to be the case. Not that I’m bitter of course.
As for Saliba, and his side kick Gabriel, they have the winning mentality as well as the staying power. In fact most of Arsenal’s players have the same traits too. Things might not always go to plan, but they never give up.
Saliba’s opinion of Gabriel:
He’s like a brother to me we’re very close. As I always say to him, it’s as if he were French too, he has the same facial expressions as a French person because he was at Lille for a long time He’s a great guy and an incredible defender.
I’ll leave it there…
Catch up in the comments.
Poor old Tomiyasu! He’s been injured so much that you forgot to mention him as part of our great defensive unit.
So I did, oops…..
As Arsenal have appealed that red card, MLS is free to play until the appeal is heard and turned down. As Arsenal are seeking evidence for the appeal, hopefully it will not be presented before Sunday so he will be free to face City at the Emirates on that day.
Let’s hope that’s the case re MLS, although we do still have Tierney and Calafiori.
Tierney is in the way to Celtic.
Maybe Jm, maybe in the summer though.
Good evening Rico and all
Just saw this on FB……BREAKING: Myles Lewis-Skelly red card against Wolves has been rescinded.
FA confirm an independent Regulatory Commission has upheld a claim of wrongful dismissal in relation to Myles Lewis-Skelly and removed his three-match suspension.
Off to read the post
Evening Devil, I hope that’s true.
Sky Sports have confirmed we’ve won the appeal..
Rightly so…
I would wait to read it on the PGMOL web site. Might be a long wait as they haven’t got one.
A lot of us probably all felt the death threats to MO would undermine our appeal on behalf of MLS.
However, the Met Police relayed threats to the Prem league that were made to Oliver three weeks ago regarding blowing up his car. A good legal team will use that to confirm there is no evidence these latest threats were made by our fans however unbelievable that may be it’s a legal and valid argument.
Reports that the appeal has been successful.
Good post Rico. I enjoyed reading that
Common sense prevailed. I always had a large percentage of me feeling that the red card will be overturned. Had it been Arsenal fans only with the protests then I would not have been so sure. But having Shearer, Lineker et al plus ex refs coming out and saying it was the wrong decisions, plus it was discussed on Italian sports progs and also in other countries it would have made the FA look like fools and idiots if they upheld it.
even if no one protested an independent and impartial panel would have overturned it. you explained it well above and it did not merit more than a yellow card.
MO will referee again this weekend…..the Southampton game. fingers crossed he makes another clanger although I believe he will thread carefully. I still think he will feel like walking on eggshells and hopefully all fans across the country will boo and whistle him at every possible moment
Thanks Devil.
Common sense has prevailed, I bet Oliver is crying in his G&T
G&T Rico? Nah, Newcastle Brown Ale more like bonny lass. 😉
😂 Cicero, of course..
Just read it on Arsenal web site, great news for MLS, at last a result that went in our favour, as the video I saw didn’t look good for him.
I hope we don’t play Tierney as he is more than likely going to pick up another injury which is a shame as he has talent, but istoo injury prone me.
All the more reason to play him Geoff. 😜
Hola muchachos , tonight we are in sunny Spain taking on Man City’s sister club .
Apparently we are playing to win . One point will be enough so an early lead and bring on the kids and maybe it might persuade a few waverers to stay .
Morning all.
A good opportunity indeed to rest a few tired legs to be fresh when we beat Citeh😁, also a chance for some of the recent returnees to get some more minutes.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6094434/2025/01/29/arsenals-list-of-misfortunes-is-long-enough-to-derail-a-season-and-yet/
And chicas 😂
New post up..
A long list of woes Rico, but the way the team reacted to the M L S red card was incredible, not the surrounding of Oliver, but the determination to put things right on the pitch and go on to win the game.
It was an example of the togetherness of the squad, the willingness to fight for each other, not a single head dropped, not single shoulder was shrugged just a sense that three vital points were there for the taking.
That togetherness and determination bodes well for the rest of the season.