The match referees for the fixtures corresponding to the Premier League’s matchday 13 have been announced by the PGMOL earlier this week.
The Premier League’s matchday 13 is back after a fortnight of the international break and the standout match is definitely the London Derby that will be contested between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening. The Blues are in contention to lift the Premier League and escaping a loss against Spurs would ensure that their unbeaten streak to the 2018/19 campaign stretches further.
There is some good news for the west Londoners following the appointment of the man in the middle after PGMOL announced the officials for the coming weekend’s matches. 47-year-old Martin Atkinson will be the referee for the outing on Saturday evening whereas Stephen Child and Lee Betts will be his assistants on the lines. Stuart Attwell has been appointed as the fourth official.
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Martin Atkinson refereed Chelsea’s famous 4-2 win over Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-finals back in the 2016/17 season. The Blues won that match courtesy of a brilliant performance. Willian was at the brace whereas Eden Hazard scored too. However, the unforgettable moment from the semi at the Wembley Stadium was certainly Nemanja Matic’s long-range stunner.
The referee affiliated to the West Riding County Football Association has overseen 11 Premier League matches this season. One of those matches did feature Chelsea when they played host to Arsenal at the Stamford Bridge in the second match week of the Premier League. The other shimmering fixture he oversaw was between Liverpool and Manchester at the Anfield. Atkinson awarded a final minute to the Citizens only for it to be missed by Riyad Mahrez.
Martin Atkinson also was the central figure of a controversial match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal earlier this season as well. The match ended 2-2 at the Selhurst Park with the experienced official awarding two penalties to the Eagles. Though they were the right decisions, there was quite some fuss created around it.
Should the man for the big games- Michael Oliver- have overseen the derby?