Chris Kavanagh has been appointed as the referee for Leeds United’s clash with Arsenal at Elland Road on Sunday. Kavanagh took charge of last season’s meeting at the Emirates in May when Luke Ayling was sent off in the first half.
Leeds have a poor record with Kavanagh in the middle since their promotion to the Premier League in 2020, winning just twice, and losing on five occasions. That includes three defeats from three last season, including the controversial 3-2 loss at Chelsea.
Kavanagh pointed to the spot on three occasions in that meeting at Stamford Bridge, once in the first half for Leeds and twice in the second for Chelsea. That included a soft stoppage time penalty for a foul by Mateusz Klich on Antonio Rudiger, which ended up denying Leeds a hard-fought point with a depleted squad.
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On VAR for the weekend will be last Sunday’s referee at Crystal Palace Paul Tierney. Tierney rather controversially did not send off Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure for a challenge on Tyler Adams in the first half, before then deciding not to show him a second yellow card minutes later for another late tackle on Marc Roca.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher believes Tierney got the decision wrong at Selhurst Park. He said: "I think he's very, very fortunate. He's got him right across the Achilles and if he had have been sent off he couldn't have complained. The referee has got the best view of that but it's not a very good tackle."
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