The Premier League have made a major decision regarding Michael Oliver following his controversial performance in the 2-2 draw between Man City and Arsenal last month
Premier League referee Michael Oliver isn’t particularly popular in Arsenal and Manchester City circles at the moment. The 39-year-old was heavily criticised for his controversial performance during the intense 2-2 draw between the sides last month.
John Stones‘ 98th-minute equaliser denied Arsenal their first victory at the Etihad Stadium in almost a decade, as well as a significant morale boost ahead of what looks like the third consecutive title race involving both clubs. The Gunners were also aggrieved to have played half the game with 10 men following Leandro Trossard’s contentious red card.
The Belgian was sent off by Oliver after booting the ball away in an apparent attempt to delay the restart, with the infraction earning him a second yellow card just before half-time. City, however, also felt hard done by, namely due to the fact that Arsenal’s first goal came after Oliver had called Kyle Walker over for a chat, before restarting play before the defender had returned to his initial position.
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However, when it comes to Oliver’s refereeing, the statistics suggest that Arsenal have more grounds for complaint than Liverpool’s other main title rival, City. Data compiled by Bonus Code Bets, analysed before the latest round of matches, show that Oliver has shown red cards to Arsenal more times than any other Premier League team.
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In 53 games officiating the Gunners, Oliver has sent off seven Arsenal players. This equates to a dismissal in roughly 13% of matches he’s taken charge of.
Moreover, Oliver tends to book Arsenal players at an above-average rate, with the team receiving 1.77 yellow cards per game under his watch. By comparison, the Premier League average for all top-flight matches he has refereed is 1.63.
In stark contrast, Oliver has never given a Manchester City player a red card in the 47 games involving the club he has refereed. The Citizens also average just 1.36 yellow cards per game when Oliver is the man in the middle.
The pattern continues with fouls; City commit an average of 9.45 fouls in games overseen by Oliver, while Arsenal’s figure is higher at 11.02, against a league average of 10.85. The Northumberland-born official has awarded penalties against Arsenal (0.25 per game) more frequently than against City (0.17).
“Arsenal fans are well known for complaining about refereeing decisions not going their way, but our research suggests they may have a point here,” a spokesperson for Bonus Code Bets said. “If no one remembered your birthday, make sure to show up at an Arsenal game that Michael Oliver is in charge of – there will be plenty of cards there!”
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In terms of red cards, Liverpool have received just one from Oliver in 56 matches. This means a Reds star has been sent off in just 2% of all matches Oliver has been in charge of. As for Everton, Oliver has sent five of their players off in 51 matches – equating to a red card in roughly 10% of matches.
It comes following news Oliver has been removed from refereeing duties ahead of this weekend’s fixtures. Instead, he has been chosen to oversee VAR for Brentford’s encounter with Wolves on Saturday.
In the aftermath of the contentious City-Arsenal match, Oliver was appointed as the VAR for Chelsea’s victory over Brighton last weekend. However, he did return to his refereeing role for Bournemouth’s triumph over Southampton on Monday.