Controversial red-card ref to officiate Arsenal’s Chelsea clash | OneFootball

Michael Oliver is set to referee Arsenal’s match against Chelsea, officiating his first Gunners game since that Leandro Trossard red card.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: Players react as Referee, Michael Oliver shows a red card to Leandro Trossard of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on September 22, 2024. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

The Premier League have confirmed their appointments of officials for the upcoming round of fixtures this weekend, including Arsenal’s trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Sunday.

Michael Oliver is set to referee the big-six clash, assisted by Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring.

Andy Madley will be the fourth official, with Paul Tierney on VAR, and Richard West acting as the assistant VAR.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: Referee, Michael Oliver shows a yellow card to Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on September 22, 2024. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

This will be Oliver’s first game refereeing Arsenal since September, when he dismissed Leandro Trossard at the end of the first half of the match away to Manchester City.

The Gunners were leading 2-1 at the time, but the game-changing moment when Oliver deemed Trossard to have delayed the restart and issued him a second yellow card.

City ultimately rallied and scored a late equaliser to steal a point and deny Arsenal all three, with Mikel Arteta’s side struggling to maintain their first-half momentum after going down to 10 men.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker of Manchester City talk to Referee, Michael Oliver during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on September 22, 2024. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

That wasn’t the only Arsenal game Oliver has refereed this season, as he was also officiating as the Gunners won 2-0 away to Aston Villa in August.

So for the third time this season, Oliver will referee as Arsenal travel away to a top-half opponent. Let’s hope this weekend’s game is more like the Villa match than the City one.