Premier League make official Wolves vs Leeds United referee decision after Molineux controversy
Leeds United head to Molineux for a massive Premier League clash on Saturday afternoon.
The Premier League have confirmed their referee appointments for the weekend with top official Anthony Taylor to take charge of Leeds United’s trip to Wolves.
Leeds head to Molineux on Saturday hoping to bounce back from last weekend’s crushing late defeat at Fulham. Daniel Farke’s side were once again solid defensively but poor going forward, eventually falling to Gabriel Gudmundsson’s added-time own-goal.
The Whites have now failed to score in each of their last three league games, with Lukas Nmecha’s opening-night penalty against Everton their only successful effort. And defeat at Craven Cottage has ramped up the pressure that little bit extra going into a weekend meeting with likely relegation rivals Wolves.
Like Leeds, Vitor Pereira’s side have only managed to score against Everton but their campaign has started even slower, with four straight defeats leaving them rock-bottom and pointless. A 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United last weekend also came without star striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, who is an injury doubt.
Saturday’s Molineux meeting has therefore been tipped as an early relegation six-pointer and with plenty on the line already, the Premier League have opted to appoint experienced ref Taylor for the occasion. He will be assisted by Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn, with Gavin Ward as fourth official and Stuart Attwell on VAR duties.
Taylor is considered one of the Premier League’s top referees and last weekend was given the job of officiating Manchester City’s 3-0 derby win over Manchester United. He also took charge of a fiery meeting between newly-created rivals Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, evidence the PGMOL trust him with some of the most high-tension affairs.
Wolves controversy still fresh amid Leeds United arrival
The experienced official is one of the more lenient referees currently on the Premier League schedule, blowing for an average of 19.5 fouls and brandishing 3.5 yellow cards per game this season. Taylor has also avoided any major controversy thus far, which is no mean feat given what has happened elsewhere.
Leeds’ weekend hosts Wolves were the victims of a particularly poor decision in their most recent home game, a 3-2 defeat against Everton before the September international break. Pereira’s side had strong claims for a penalty turned away by referee Michael Oliver after Iliman Ndiaye appeared to foul Hugo Bueno, with VAR Craig Pawson - who struggled at Craven Cottage last weekend - opting not to request an on-pitch review.
Last week, the Key Match Incidents panel - which assesses refereeing incidents - adjudged Pawson to have made a mistake in not sending Oliver to the screen, with three of the five members believing he made a mistake. "The contact made is careless and the panel felt a penalty should have been awarded and that VAR should have intervened on the basis it was a clear and obvious error in not penalising the foul," the panel wrote.
With Wolves eventually losing by just one goal, that mistake proved decisive in keeping them from earning a first point and Molineux will no doubt be ready to pile pressure on Taylor come Saturday. Leeds, meanwhile, will hope for a slice of their own luck following last weekend’s gutting defeat.