Arsenal have received a fine more than three times higher than standard for surrounding Michael Oliver after he sent off Myles Lewis-Skelly at Wolves.
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Arsenal punished for surrounding Michael Oliver at WolvesFine is three times higher than standard Initial decision was overturnedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Arsenal have been fined £65,000 for their players' furious reaction to Oliver's decision to award Lewis-Skelly a red card for a foul on Matt Doherty, with nine of them remonstrating with the referee. The VAR Darren England upheld the decision, but the 18-year-old's ban was eventually overturned.
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The decision caused an uproar, with referee Oliver the victim of death threats to him and his family in the subsequent days. Though Lewis-Skelly's ban was withdrawn, Arsenal's on-field reaction has still landed the club in trouble and they admitted the charge of failing to ensure their players did not behave in an improper manner at Molineux.
WHAT THE FA SAID
Journalist James Benge posted that the fine was over three times higher than is usual for this type of case, with the FA justifying their decision by referring to "previous proven charges on its disciplinary record", "the very high number of players involved", "the unacceptable protracted time the incident took to unfold" and "the relatively forceful nature of the protestations".
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
Arsenal remain in the hunt for their first Premier League title in 21 years, sitting seven points behind leaders Liverpool with 13 matches to play. They are also in the last 16 of the Champions League, with youngster Lewis-Skelly playing a major part.
