Liverpool v Arsenal Sunday 27 August 2017 – The Match Officials

by Andrew Crawshaw

If we were in any doubt about the direction of refereeing for the season last week’s exhibition reminded us of the state of play regarding the PGMO.  How an experienced referee can look at an incident with an uninterrupted view from less than 15 yards away and not award a penalty for a clear trip beggars belief.  It is also difficult to see how a player can fall backwards when running for a ball without being pulled but the PGMO are of course Omnipotent and absolutely incapable of making a mistake (at least according to the pundits).

In other news, in case you missed it as well as me :-

  • Chris Kavanagh has officially been promoted to the Select Group of referees for the season (he was fourth official in the Bournemouth v Watford game in Matchweek 2 so don’t expect to see him in a league game involving Arsenal any time soon)
  • Dan Cook has been added to the panel of Assistant Referees.
  • Players who dive or feign injury could face a retrospecting two match ban
  • The official Premier League Ball is the Nike Ordem V
  • Wembley is one of three new grounds for the season the others being Brighton’s Amex Stadium (30,750 capacity) and Huddersfield’s John Smith Stadium (24,500 capacity)

On to Sunday and our officials are :-

  • Referee – Martin Atkinson  46 years old from West Yorkshire he is still a FIFA accredited Elite referee following an age extension (valid until Dec 2017 I believe)
  • Assistant Referee 1 – Adam Nunn from Wiltshire
  • Assistant Referee 2 – Stephen Child from Kent and FIFA Accredited
  • Fourth Official – Craig Pawson 38 years old from South Yorkshire and FIFA Accredited

Martin Atkinson is another referee who really needs little introduction, he has been around for a long time and has caused us grief most times he has been in charge.

Last season we had him four times winning and losing two. In only one game did he get a score above our minimum acceptable 70%, he made 13 wrong Important Decisions in the three games we fully analysed probably costing us 1 point in out loss against City.  The two other games we analysed were those we won.

The previous year three games, all at 70% or below, 15 wrong Important Decisions and three points when we lost to Chelsea in an absolute travesty of a game.

Mr Atkinson is another referee whom I look forward to welcoming his retirement and have absolutely no faith in being able to deliver a good refereeing performance (let alone an unbiased one).  He seems incapable of recognising a bad challenge and worryingly also allows wrong goals to stand.  Bias figures against Arsenal (even in games we win) are rarely below 90/10.

Adam Nunn had the distinction last year of being the only Assistant Referee who got three flags in one game for wrong decisions – working with (yes you guessed Mr Atkinson) in our 2 – 1 loss at City last December.

  • In Min32 Walcott was offside and not flagged,
  • Min47 Sane was offside when he scored City’s first goal and
  • Min 60 Sagna was not offside.  He was flag free in his other two Arsenal games though.

As ever we will be playing against a good Liverpool team and a referee incapable or unwilling to ensure that decisions are even handed.

COYG

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15 Replies to “Liverpool v Arsenal Sunday 27 August 2017 – The Match Officials”

  1. I remember the Sane goal. He was marginally offside but not so maginal as Lacazette last week. Unlike last weeks decision which was roundly applauded by most of the experts, offside is offside so well done the linesman, the Sane decision was excused as being so close that the officials where quite entitled to allow play to continue even though it resulted in a goal.
    Of course with both decisions Wenger was critisized for whinging as if he is the only manager ever to complain when refs calls go against Arsenal.

  2. I wonder why refs mistakes are not “retrospectively” punished as player mistakes are. It does seem strange that those meant to apply the law can be quite lawless themselves without any punishment. Mind you, this seems to be just a reflection of society as a whole.

    Anyway, Arsenal has to win this game, roles are reversed now, last time we came from a CL game, now it’s pool coming from CL game.

    Whatever, this game will surely decide if the “banners” start coming out again or not.

    Does any one suspect the draws for the games are manipulated for TV or other purposes?

  3. Despite the Gunners not beating Jurgen Klopp’s Reds side in four PL games at Anfield and at the Emirates in two seasons, but my hunch is saying to me that Arsenal will on Sunday at Anfield beat Liverpool to the collection of all the 3 points that will be at stake in this Premier League game for the first time in two seasons. And there is nothing whatsoever Jurgen Klopp, the Reds and the Anfield vociferous supporters can do to alter this impending Liverpool PL game home defeat by Arsenal this time around.

    Unlike when the Pgmol officials aided and abetted Stoke City’s PL game win over Arsenal last weekend when the match referee in that game ignored a cut clear penalty for Arsenal which if it was given and converted will have become the game winning propeller that could propell Arsenal to win the game. But notwithstanding, the Gunners will be fully ready on Sunday to thwart any Reds attempt in this game to get a point from it as they will fully prepared to do the thwarting of the Reds attempt to score a single goal in the match talk less of to get a point in the game via a goalless draw. For, the Reds getting a point in the game will be tantamount to a defeat to Arsenal. And Arsenal will not allow that to happen to them in this game.

    And in the other hand, after thwarting all Liverpool attempts to win this match or get a draw in the game, the Gunners will utterly contained whatever anti-Arsenal referring in the game which referee Martins Atkinson and his two linesmen might have planned or odered to referee and flag unduly and unfairly against Arsenal in the game as the Gunners will put to void all their deliberate actions to disadvantage Arsenal in the game.

    My 3-2-4-1 starts.
    Cech
    Mustafi Koscielny Monreal > defense-line
    Bellerin Kolasinac > wingbacks
    Ozil Ramsey Xhaka Sanchez > MFDs
    Lacazette > striker.

    Bench:
    Ospina Holding Mertesacker Elneny Coquelin Walcott Giroud.

    Oh my God! What a starts of Gunners and bench. Liverpool will cry and beg Arsenal. But the Gunners will not listen.

    I have decided to leave the unsettled Oxchambo who is currently engulfed in transfer rumours out of my match day squad altogether to avoid any unsettling the Gunners during the playing of this game.

  4. I think we should revert to a 4-3-2-1/4-3-3 for the game, and closing down pool at every chance, pin them back from taking the ball forward, making them frustrated.

    We dont need to tackle them if we are dilligent and aware, just to frustrate all their efforts to attack. We need a back 4, with the 5 in midfield as a barrier but ready to lose 2 players to join the lone one at the top at a moments notice in an attack.

    //
    Reiss Nelson should play in this game too alongside Alexis and pool will flounder for real.

    //
    I really get sick of the TV changes and manipulations for the game, we’re always playing first on Sat or last on Sun, and pool 3 times in early season.

    I cant remember when we have ever played Manu this early in the season.

  5. So, my teams according to my above comment

    4-4-2-1
    Bellerin Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
    OX Coq/ElNeny Kolasinac
    Reiss-Nelson Alexis
    Lacazette

    4-3-3
    Bellerin Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
    Ox Xhaka/Coq Kolasinac
    Reiss-Nelson Lacazette Alexis

    Cant see it(any of them) happening though.

    //
    This game defines/will define Arsenal.
    There is an alarming rate of senility starting to appear in Arsenal’s decisions and behaviour. Time to STOP that dead, right now.

    I see parallels to when my mother started to decline in the decisions and things she would say and do.

  6. Para – “Does any one suspect the draws for the games are manipulated for TV or other purposes?” 100% yes! Blatter even admitted that they are rigged. This is done by making certain balls colder than others. Odd, how that little snippet of very important information, seems to have just been forgotten, aye?

  7. Para – “Does any one suspect the draws for the games are manipulated for TV or other purposes?” 100% yes! Blatter even admitted that they are rigged. This is done by making certain balls colder than others.

    Odd, how that little snippet of very important information, seems to have just been forgotten.. Or is he lying and its just a coincidence that teams like Real Madrid get the easiest draws, year after year after year?

  8. Jammy J – are you saying that Septic Bladder froze his balls before the draws? 😉 .

    Perhaps that is a system that PGMOL use; whoever has a cold touch on Rileys balls ………….

  9. Jammy J
    Amazing how the liars and cheats are getting more and more bold about what they do and do not fear repercussions at all.

  10. If w start on the front foot and make sensible dexisons to stem country attacks we will won. Scoring first and preferably around 15 – 25 Mons in is perfect.

    Cexh
    Bellerin Mustarfi Koscielny Kolasanic

    Ramsey Xaka

    Welbeck ozil Alexis

    Lacazette

    Blood Nelson (here) 65 Welbeck OFF
    Sure up Coquelin after 70 Ozil OFF
    Monreal
    Walcott for Alexis 80 job done unless you want embarassing
    Iwobi
    Holding
    Ospina

    Go ahead , double the lead by coming out swinging after the break if you can’t catch them trying to equalize in first half. Add pace and put Welbeck left Alexis central and Nelson on right to embarrass Walcott and Alex. He’ll score or make one, he’s a natural footballing genius tactics ally and has excellent distribution, occassioms don’t phase him on the pitch, I have this, only the game matters.

    Ozil for Coquelin, after 2, just accept he is aghast by some peoples lack of football over rugby.

    You counter Tue counter press of Liverpool by scoring and proving they can’t create if you counts press intge middle to last third.

    You counter their format by congesting more the midfield and filling the gap between last and middle third and threatening to counter attack. Maximum 8 passes and better to shoot off the cuff thatln turn over possession.

    They are not that good, they just foxua on ttansition througj mane and fiminio, wthout coutinho and Lellana thet wont be able to, nobody to pull the strings.

    Ozil has to ghost about and drag Henderson all over the shop.

    Theu are not that hard to beat, you just run at them.

    Stop emre, lock passes to henderson off and keep an eye on mane, fiminio can loite of you bloxk the abgles hes not winning aerial duels if kos goes forward to challenge.

    Xaka is not aloud further then the centre circle, discipline.

    Winning this game sells Coutinho, success buys our reinforcements.

    I believe.

    Like i said he needed to identify dead players, we know them, they go. If Theo wants it replace Alexis and feed Nelson his debut.

    And then do one so you may actually see a WC, hammers are desperate.

  11. Back to the PGMOB Elite…

    Oliver TWICE got in the way of Leicester passes leading to the filth’s 2 goals.

    Mike Dean SHOULD be investigated!

  12. They executed it perfectly in fact!

    Shocking performance from most everyone now send of Xaka because he took off Aaron and what can I defend.

    Its schoolboy stuff

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