Michael Oliver has been in the spotlight this past weekend.
Regarded as one of England’s top referees, Oliver is often in charge of high-profile Premier League matches. On Saturday, he officiated the Wolves vs Arsenal game, where a decision he made sparked widespread discussion.
In the first half, Oliver gave Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly a red card for tripping Matt Doherty, stopping a counter-attack. Many expected a yellow card, so the red card led to controversy.
The Daily Mail reports that Oliver received death threats over the weekend. However, the referee has remained focused on his role, unaffected by the backlash.
Now, Oliver has been appointed to officiate the upcoming Liverpool vs Everton match on February 12. This match, originally scheduled for December but postponed due to weather, will be the final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park before Everton moves to their new stadium.
With major implications for the title race, the Premier League is relying on one of their top officials to oversee the clash. However, this isn’t Oliver’s first Merseyside Derby. The 2020 edition of the fixture remains controversial due to a significant error in Oliver’s decision-making.
In that match, Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk suffered an ACL injury after a challenge by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who was not sent off by Oliver despite the dangerous tackle. Oliver later admitted he should have issued a red card to Pickford. That mistake had a major impact on Liverpool’s season and has left a lingering grudge among Reds fans ahead of the upcoming match.
Referee set to take charge of Everton vs Liverpool despite admitting to big Merseyside Derby error in 2020
