In a dramatic turn of events at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal fans were left fuming after a controversial tackle during their Premier League clash against Wolves on Saturday, December 13, 2025. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviewed a heavy challenge by Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan on Arsenal’s young star Myles Lewis-Skelly, but shockingly upheld the on-field decision of just a yellow card. This “bombshell” verdict from Stockley Park has sparked widespread debate among fans and pundits alike, with many arguing it should have been a straight red.
The incident occurred in the second half when the 29-year-old South Korean striker dived into a reckless tackle on Lewis-Skelly. Referee John Brooks initially brandished a yellow card, but the manner of the challenge—described by some as dangerous and potentially career-threatening—prompted an immediate VAR check. Assistant VAR Dan Robathan assisted in the review, and after scrutinizing the footage, they agreed with the original call. The officials deemed the foul “reckless” but noted that Hwang appeared to pull out of the collision at the last moment, with contact primarily on the foot.
The Premier League Match Centre quickly provided clarification via a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “The referee’s call of yellow card was checked and confirmed by VAR – with Hwang deemed to be pulling out of the challenge on Lewis-Skelly and the contact on the foot deemed to be a reckless foul.” This explanation did little to quell the outrage from Arsenal supporters, who flooded social media with calls for stricter VAR protocols in such high-stakes moments.
Just moments after the controversy, Arsenal capitalized on their momentum to break the deadlock. From a corner kick, Bukayo Saka delivered an audacious cross that struck the inside of the far post, rebounding off Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone’s head and into the net for an own goal. It was a bizarre yet crucial opener that shifted the game’s dynamics in favor of the Gunners.
This goal marked the end of Arsenal’s recent drought in scoring directly from set-pieces in the Premier League. The last such goal came from Viktor Gyokeres’ header against Burnley at the start of November. Since then, the Gunners had netted 11 goals across their next five top-flight matches—all from open play. The own goal by Johnstone not only secured the lead but also highlighted Arsenal’s versatility in finding the net.
Speaking to reporters at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Friday ahead of the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta addressed his team’s evolving goal-scoring patterns. “This is football, and it has waves,” the Spaniard explained. “You try to analyse the last five games or ten games and the sample is that small that you get very, very confused. At the end, even 40 games is not enough to have a sample of what your team looks like because it’s too small. But the fact that we have the resources to score from various positions with different players in different manners, that’s a great thing. We want to be the best in every situation, that’s what we try to do.”
Despite dominating possession throughout the game, Arsenal found it tough to dismantle Wolves’ resolute defense under manager Rob Edwards. Arteta, who anticipated a challenging encounter, was forced to make tactical adjustments early on, including a first-half substitution to adapt to the visitors’ gritty approach.
Arteta had previewed the fixture with determination: “In any Premier League match and especially against a team that is fighting against results. I know the manager really well and how he’s going to push and get the players ready to do that. So from our side, we’re going to go full gas from the beginning because we know what we have to do.”
The win keeps Arsenal firmly in the title race, but the VAR controversy lingers as a talking point. As the dust settles on this heated London showdown, questions remain about consistency in officiating and whether Hwang’s escape from a red card could have altered the match’s outcome. For now, the Gunners march on, but the bombshell verdict from VAR ensures this clash will be remembered for more than just the scoreline.