Liverpool’s upcoming clash against Arsenal this weekend has its confirmed match officials, featuring a couple of recognizable personalities.
The Reds are gearing up to face the league leaders in a significant showdown at the top of the table on Sunday, and the victorious team is poised to secure the coveted leading position heading into Christmas.
Chris Kavanagh has been entrusted with officiating the game, a referee with whom Jurgen Klopp’s team has enjoyed considerable success in the past.
Out of the 16 games where Kavanagh has been the central referee since 2018, Liverpool emerged victorious in 13 encounters, suffering defeat on only two occasions.
Sunday’s match presents a unique situation as there is limited previous history between the referee and the Reds’ boss. However, the situation differs for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) official!
David Coote will oversee proceedings from Stockley Park, the same official who served in the VAR role during the 2-2 draw in the Merseyside derby three years ago.
During that game, Jordan Pickford’s tackle, which sidelined Virgil van Dijk for an extended period, went unpunished. Additionally, a late goal by Jordan Henderson was controversially disallowed due to an offside call.
The fourth official for the match will be Craig Pawson, with whom Klopp had a disagreement in the past. Klopp openly criticized two decisions made by Pawson during Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat away to West Ham in November 2021.
Kavanagh’s two assistant referees on the touchlines, Simon Bennett and Dan Robathan, may be less familiar to Reds fans. Meanwhile, Coote will be joined by Lee Betts in the VAR room.
Liverpool aims to bounce back from their disappointing performance in the recent match against Manchester United, and a victory against Arsenal could place them back in a commanding position in the league.
