Arsenal v Chelsea 26 April 2015 – The Match Officials

Arsenal v Chelsea 26 April 2015 – The Match Officials

by Andrew Crawshaw

Firstly following Walter’s review of the Newcastle game Ref Review : Newcastle – Arsenal: an overwhelming bias here is the updated “Table of Shame’

Wrong Important Decisions	Favouring Arsenal	Favouring Opponents
2nd Yellow Cards	0	19
Red Cards	4	16
Penalties	4	18
Goals	1	7
Total	9	60
Possible Cost in Points	7	23

In the Newcastle game Mr Jones made a large number of mistakes, his overall performance was a disgraceful 58% and his bias against Arsenal was 95%.  About the only wrong decision he gave in favour of Arsenal was a handball against Chambers in Min60 which should have resulted in a penalty to Newcastle.  There were two other wrong Important Decisions both involving second yellow cards for Cabella.  He should have had a first in Min13 for a tackle from behind on Coquelin, a second in Minute62 for a forearm to Coquelin’s head and a third in Min 81 for a dive trying to win a penalty.

On to the Chelsea game

• Referee – Michael Oliver
• Assistants – L Betts and J Brooks
• Fourth Official – L Mason

This will be the third time for Mr Oliver this year, and the first for a while.  Both previous games have been draws – One all against Spurs at home and two all away at Liverpool

REFEREE REVIEW: Arsenal – Tottenham

66% Overall and bias against both teams of 85/15.  Two wrong Important Decisions (Second Yellow or Red Cards, Penalties or Goal decisions).  In Minute 30 Rose should have had a penalty called against him for a foul on Wilshere and in Minute 72 Mason should have been sent off for a foul on Özil.  Two points taken away from Arsenal.

Ref Review Liverpool – Arsenal. Someone put something in the ref’s tea at half time

67% overall and bias against both teams of 0/100.  Two wrong Important Decisions, Minute61 Stirling should have been sent off for deliberate handball (he should have had a first card for simulation in Min46 for which Debuchy was booked – he was nowhere near Stirling).  In Minute 91 Borini should have had a straight red for a challenge on Cazorla with a three match ban – he was given a second yellow card with a one match ban instead (no impact on this game but still very wrong).

2013-14 Season – Arsenal had Mr Oliver three times

Arsenal v Spurs 1 Sep 2013 (1-0).  Walter’s post game piece – Arsenal v £100.000.000: 1-0 didn’t mention the referee so must have been OK

Man United v Arsenal 10 November 2013 (1-0).  Walter’s post game piece – Lost a battle, the war is still in our hands.  A number of ‘phantom’ fouls called against Arsenal to allow United to regroup when under pressure.  We bossed possession and matched United in the other stats but made one defensive error from which they scored.

Liverpool v Arsenal 8 Feb 2014 (5-1).  We played in a suicidal fashion and were hammered.  Walter’s post game piece Disastrous start leaves us empty handed  covers it excellently.  The referee played no part in our loss, he didn’t need to as we shot ourselves by simply not turning up in the first half.

2012-13 Season  There are 11 full referee reviews of his games in 2012/13 in them he made 18 wrong Important decisions (second yellow, red cards penalties and goals) not a terribly good performance.  In individual games he scored below 70% on three occasions, 80% plus on three occasions (highest 88%) with the remaining five games between 70 & 80% again not setting the world on fire and well below the standard we should expect from a FIFA referee.  Unusually his overall bias seemed to favour the away teams, Four home teams against 6 away teams with only one game neutral.  Of these reviewed games, one featured Arsenal

Match Review: Michael Oliver – Everton Vs Arsenal (1 – 1) [28/11/2012]

overall weighted score 70%, bias against 21/79 but no wrong Important Decisions.  A total of 20 wrong decisions out of 147, four against Everton and 16 against Arsenal, so a rather one sided performance but probably not enough to change the course of the game.

Now let’s look at his performances in his games involving Chelsea – this will be the fourth time this year, previous games are:-

• Burnley v Chelsea 18 August (1 – 3)
• Chelsea v West Ham 26 December (2 – 0)
• Hull v Chelsea 22 March (2 – 3)

Unfortunately there are no detailed independent assessments of any of his performances so I will leave you all to do your own internet searches to try and establish any bias he committed in any of these games.

In 2013/14

• Chelsea v Southampton 1 December (3 – 1)
• Chelsea v Spurs 8 March (4 – 0)
• Cardiff v Chelsea 11 May (1 – 2)

For reviews of his performances in a Chelsea game we have to go back one more year where there are three

2012/13

Chelsea v Stoke 22 September (1 – 0)- 64% overall, bias against the two teams 68/32 and three wrong Important Decisions.  In Minute 22 Adams was booked , this should have been his second as he should have been carded in Minute3.  There should have been two late sendings off, a Chelsea Player in Minute 90+2 for a two footed challenge on Walters and a Stoke player for an attack on Ivanovic.

West Brom v Chelsea 17 November (2 – 1) – 83% Overall and bias against the two teams of 23/77.  One wrong Important Decision in Minute64 Yacob challenge on Moses should have resulted in a penalty.

Chelsea v West Ham 17 March (2 – 0) – 88% overall, bias against the two teams 88/12 but no wrong Important Decisions.

In Conclusion

1. Mr Oliver is not a good referee, particularly so when in charge of an Arsenal game, he seems somewhat better when at Chelsea. For a FIFA Referee his numbers are consistently well below the required standard.
2. His bias against Arsenal in terms of wrong decisions as towards the extreme end of the spectrum 79/21, 85/15 and 100/0 in the last three games this has been measured.
3. He has made two wrong Important Decisions in each of his Arsenal Games this year, almost certainly costing us points in the process.
4. He has a habit of slowing down play when Arsenal are seeking to press an advantage, calling phantom fouls or not using the advantage rule properly.
5. As usual Arsenal will have to be alert and not allow the niggly pulls, pushes and kicks from Chelsea to get to them because retribution will certainly come in the form of fouls called and cards given should they retaliate.
6. He isn’t the worst referee we could have had but past performances don’t build much confidence for balanced refereeing.

COYG – time to finally stuff, roast and carve the Chelsea Turkey.

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The anniversaries

25 April 2004. Arsenal won the League, at White Hart Lane, for the second time since Tottenham last won the league.  The score was Tottenham 2 Arsenal 2 and this was the 34th league game of the unbeaten season.  Lehmann (having conceded a penalty in the 94th minute) failed to return to the pitch to celebrate afterwards.

25 April 2007: Death of Arthur Milton.  Only twelve men played football and cricket for England in full internationals and test matches – Arsenal player Arthur Milton was the last of that remarkable group.

Please note the complete Arsenal on this day index is now here with around 5000 major events in Arsenal’s history recorded.