Jurrien Timber reveals Arsenal team's reaction to controversial Myles Lewis-Skelly red card | OneFootball

Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber admitted that the Gunners "know how to deal" with being a man down and didn't much talk about it during the interval at Molineux on Saturday, after playing more than half of their 1-0 win over Wolves with ten players.

Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off shortly before half-time for what referee Michael Oliver perceived as serious foul play in cynically breaking up a counter attack and catching Matt Doherty on the side of his ankle and the top of his foot.

Many saw it as harsh, with the likes of Alan Shearer and Ian Wright among those slating the decision, which was upheld by VAR. Timber himself was booked for dissent in the aftermath, while Kai Havertz sunk to his knee some 20 yards away when he saw the red card brandished.

It was a competition-high fourth red card for Arsenal in the Premier League this season. But, having drawn previous games against Brighton & Hove Albion (Declan Rice) and Manchester City (Leandro Trossard), and losing against Bournemouth (William Saliba), this was the first time that the Gunners have won in 2024/25 with ten players. It perhaps also helped that Wolves were similarly reduced to ten midway through the second half, moments before Riccardo Calafiori scored the winner.

Jurrien Timber revealed the incident wasn't really addressed in the changing room / Malcolm Couzens/GettyImages

"I didn't expect the red card, to be honest. But it happens, you have to react. We can't keep talking about red cards," Timber reflected to reporters afterwards.

"We didn't talk about it much at half-time either. It is not the first time. It is still hard but we also know how to deal with it now. It is not nice to go into a second-half like this, but it is what it is. We showed character. That's what we needed.

"You have to react. That's the only thing you can do, that's the only thing in your hands. Sometimes it is frustrating but mentally, emotionally, you have to find a way to get over it and pick it up as a team. We did that."

Manager Mikel Arteta has voiced his confidence that Lewis-Skelly will see his red card rescinded by the Premier League, admitting the Gunners are prepared to appeal the decision.