Liverpool fan appointed to VAR for Arsenal clash with Nottingham Forest | OneFootball

Liverpool fan Jarred Gillett has been appointed to VAR for Arsenal’s match against Nottingham Forest next week, as the Gunners continue to chase the league leaders.

Arsenal appeared to get their title challenge back on track with a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace at the weekend, ending a run of defeats in emphatic fashion.

All the same, the Gunners remain five points behind Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp’s side racked up a 4-0 win of their own. Mikel Arteta desperately needs his team to get a run going.

It’s particularly important that Arsenal get a result against Nottingham Forest next Tuesday, as the game leads into a top-of-the-table clash against Liverpool that weekend.

With Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool competing for top spot in the league, the Premier League’s latest round of official appointments is somewhat surprising.

Simon Hooper will referee the Nottingham Forest clash, assisted by Adrian Holmes and Simon Long, with Graham Scott acting as the fourth official.

But it’s the VAR official drawing attention, with Jarred Gillett working on the game alongside Richard West.

Gillett is a Liverpool fan, officially declaring as much to the league when he was appointed.

As a result, the referee has been taken off all Liverpool games, but it’s not hard to see how he might still have a conflict of interest when officiating Arsenal matches at the moment. Particularly next week.

Gillett has refereed one previous Arsenal game this season, taking charge during the Gunners’ 1-0 away defeat at Villa Park.

Arsenal fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that this match doesn’t come down to another tight VAR call.