Exclusive: Myles Lewis-Skelly wrongly penalised for penalty in Arsenal vs Everton
Myles Lewis-Skelly should not have been penalised when he conceded a penalty in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Everton, according to Keith Hackett.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA exclusively told Football Insider that on second viewing, the decision to award a penalty to Everton was not “safe refereeing” and the Gunners sensation should himself have been awarded a free kick.
Arsenal opened the scoring through Leandro Trossard, as the Belgian winger opened the scoring for the Gunners in the 34th minute.
Despite being in complete control of the match, the North London side lacked a cutting edge to their attack, as the much-criticised Raheem Sterling and Trossard both wasted chances to extend the lead.
Having taken their slender lead into halftime, Everton came out with a renewed purpose, earning a penalty that was converted by Iliman Ndiaye.
The result surely hands Liverpool the Premier League title on a platter, but Darren England’s decision to award the penalty is now coming under fire.
Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jack Harrison battle before penalty awarded
Jack Harrison will leave Everton this summer, with his temporary deal unlikely to be made permanent, but the on-loan winger gave Lewis-Skelly a tough task on Saturday (5 April).
Having won the battle in the first half, the Arsenal defender suddenly found himself on the back foot as a ball was played through the Gunners’ defence in the 49th minute.
Both players battled for control of the loose ball, before Lewis-Skelly fell to the ground, with Harrison also ending up on the turf a few steps later.
In spite of the contact beginning outside the penalty area, the Everton winger finally went down inside the Arsenal box, causing England to award a penalty.
However, the incident looked more like a coming together, rather than a clear and obvious foul by either party.
Keith Hackett analyses Darren England’s decision to award Everton penalty vs Arsenal
Having been asked for his expert opinion, ex-PGMOL chief Hackett told Football Insider exclusively he felt the decision to award the penalty was “extremely harsh” and the contact between the two players had been initiated by Harrison, saying:
“When you look at the penalty kick awarded by Darren England in the Everton vs Arsenal game, it is extremely harsh.
| Match stats | Everton | Arsenal |
| Possession | 29% | 71% |
| Shots (on target) | 5 (2) | 14 (5) |
| Expected goals | 1.05 | 1.83 |
| Big chances (missed) | 2 (1) | 1 (1) |
| Corners | 3 | 8 |
“On a closer look at the incident, you see that the Everton player [Harrison] initiated the contact and then both players tangled with each other.
“For me, a free kick, safe refereeing, to the defending team should have been the outcome, certainly not a penalty kick awarded.”
Arsenal will face off against Real Madrid in their next fixture on Tuesday, 8 April, at the Emirates Stadium.