Arsenal’s clash with Wolves tonight will see a long-term absentee referee a Gunners fixture for the first time in two seasons.
The match is being played midweek to ease fixture congestion later in the season, as Arsenal avoided the Champions League play-off round and reached a first League Cup final in eight years.
Although rock-bottom Wolves seem unlikely to upset title-chasing Arsenal, they almost deployed a huge banana skin in December’s reverse fixture, losing 2-1 to Yerson Mosquera’s 94th-minute own goal.
A familiar face in the middle for Arsenal's trip to Wolves
And two seasons from last overseeing an Arsenal fixture, Paul Tierney has been named as tonight’s referee.
The Wigan native was injured for almost all of the 2024/25 season, only returning to action when Manchester City hosted West Ham in December.
But Tierney has a history of big decisions regarding Arsenal.
In the 21 matches he has officiated involving the North London club, Arsenal have won ten, drawn five, and lost six.
Amongst those, four red cards were brandished, three of which were shown to Arsenal players, whilst the club earned six of the nine penalties he has awarded in their matches.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw red after a VAR intervention for a high challenge against Crystal Palace in 2020.
Gabriel was sent off for two bookable offences against Southampton later in the year, and two years later, Tierney booked Rob Holding twice within the opening 45 minutes of the North London derby.
🚨 Confirmed: Paul Tierney will referee Arsenal’s trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow evening, the first time he will take charge of the Gunners since May 2024. ✅Michael Salisbury will be on VAR. 📺 pic.twitter.com/AL3Y5lcdiiFebruary 17, 2026
A much more leisurely 1-0 victory over Manchester United in 2024 was the last time he took charge of an Arsenal fixture.
It was against Wolves last season when Miles Lewis-Skelly was sent off in controversial circumstances for a challenge on Matt Doherty, only for his three-game ban to be overturned by the FA.
A win would put Arsenal seven points clear at the summit of the Premier League, with Manchester City next playing at the weekend.
