3 times the standard fine: FA’s latest Arsenal punishment raises eyebrows | OneFootball

Arsenal have been fined £65,000, more than three times the standard amount, after their players protested the absurd red card given to Myles Lewis-Skelly against Wolves.

Despite the decision being overturned quickly on appeal, The FA moved swiftly to sanction the club for their response.

Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Arsenal have once again found themselves punished by The FA, this time receiving a £65,000 fine for failing to control their players in the aftermath of Myles Lewis-Skelly‘s shocking red card against Wolves.

The decision, widely criticised, was unanimously overturned on appeal within around 45 minutes, yet the governing body wasted no time in punishing Arsenal for their players’ reaction to what was an objectively incorrect call.

Journalist James Benge highlighted the absurdity of the fine, stating that “£65,000 is more than 3 times above the standard fine for Premier League clubs. The regulatory commission blamed the long time spent protesting & forceful protests.”

Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Despite the fact that Arsenal admitted to the charge, the Regulatory Commission took a hardline stance, emphasising that Arsenal’s protest was prolonged and involved multiple players. “There were, at times, 9 AFC players in very close proximity to the referee,” the Commission’s report noted, pointing out that the situation lasted over two minutes and that “a number of AFC players sprinted towards the Referee when he issued the red card to MLS and were intimidatingly close and animated.”

The FA, who swiftly issued the charge against Arsenal almost immediately after their appeal was successful, released an official statement explaining the decision. “An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a £65,000 fine on Arsenal in relation to the Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday 25 January,” the statement read.

“It was alleged that Arsenal failed to ensure their players did not behave in an improper way around the 43rd minute, and the club subsequently admitted to this charge. The Regulatory Commission imposed this sanction following a hearing.”

The Regulatory Commission emphasised that they believed Arsenal’s players had gone beyond the acceptable threshold of protest and bore “a responsibility to conduct themselves properly.”

However, the decision raises serious questions about consistency in FA disciplinary proceedings. The standard fine for such infractions in the Premier League sits at £20,000, a figure applied to clubs across the division when found guilty of a Rule E20.1 breach.

Despite Arsenal’s clean record in this specific category for two years, the Commission dismissed mitigating circumstances and opted for a penalty more than three times the baseline punishment.

It’s hard to ignore the FA’s increasingly heavy-handed approach towards Arsenal, who in recent years have been hit with a series of disproportionate fines. They were also fined £65,000 in 2023, while two charges before that brought fines at 2x the normal rate.

This latest episode, where the governing body penalised the club for reacting to an officiating error, will do little to ease growing concerns over the fairness and transparency of their disciplinary processes.