Southampton-Arsenal official has only reffed Gunners once before | OneFootball

The Premier League have confirmed their match officials for the final weekend of the season, and Arsenal fans are unlikely to know much about the man in charge of their game.

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With days to go until the end of the season, the Premier League have confirmed their match officials for Sunday’s fixtures, including Arsenal’s trip to Southampton.

The Southampton match will be refereed by Darren Bond, with Marc Perry and George Byrne assisting him. Gavin Ward will be the fourth official, with Graham Scott on VAR and James Mainwaring as the assistant VAR.

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If the name ‘Darren Bond’ seems unfamiliar, that’s not surprising. The official has only refereed Arsenal on one previous occasion, a League Cup match against Brentford in 2023.

With all 10 Premier League games taking place at once, the team of referees and VAR officials will be stretched thin. And with Arsenal and Southampton having little to play for, it’s perhaps unsurprising the division’s top refs will be stationed elsewhere.

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Bond does have a bit more experience with Southampton, refereeing them six times including three occasions this season.

Southampton won the League Cup third round against Everton with Bond refereeing, then lost to Aston Villa and Brighton in the other two games.