Mistaken identity duo let off by FA

Arsenal will have both defender Kieran Gibbs and midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain available for tonight’s Premier League clash against Swansea after successful appeals to the Football Association.

Full-back Gibbs was shown a red card in a case of mistaken identity during the first half of Saturday’s 6-0 thrashing at Chelsea by referee Andre Marriner, instead of Oxlade-Chamberlain — who had committed the handball in the six-yard box and admitted his guilt at the time, but was waved away.

The FA confirmed last night the sanction against Gibbs had been removed, and instead transferred to Oxlade-Chamberlain. However, Arsenal then subsequently moved to have that offence downgraded on appeal, claiming the England midfielder had not technically prevented a clear goalscoring opportunity as the shot from Chelsea’s Eden Hazard was going just wide.