by Andrew Crawshaw
Here, courtesy of premierleague.com are the full details of this weekend’s fixtures. nb kickoff times 15:00 unless noted otherwise:-
Saturday 2 February
12:30 Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle
Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistants: Simon Long, Sian Massey-Ellis
Fourth official: Lee Probert
Brighton v Watford
Referee: Simon Hooper
Assistants: Daniel Cook, Darren Eaton
Fourth official: Roger East
Burnley v Southampton
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn
Fourth official: Martin Atkinson
Chelsea v Huddersfield
Referee: Paul Tierney
Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Andy Garratt
Fourth official: James Linington
Crystal Palace v Fulham
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistants: Stuart Burt, Simon Bennett
Fourth official: Gavin Ward
Everton v Wolves
Referee: Lee Mason
Assistants: Harry Lennard, Richard West
Fourth official: Mike Dean
17:30 Cardiff v AFC Bournemouth
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Assistants: Marc Perry, Andy Halliday
Fourth official: Graham Scott
Sunday 3 February
14:05 Leicester City v Man Utd
Referee: Mike Dean
Assistants: Ian Hussin, Darren Cann
Fourth official: David Coote
16:30 Manchester City v Arsenal
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistants: Stephen Child, Lee Betts
Fourth official: Craig Pawson
Monday 4 February
20:00 West Ham United v Liverpool
Referee: Kevin Friend
Assistants: Matthew Wilkes, Simon Beck
Fourth official: Graham Scott
So the first club to get a referee for 5 matches this year is Crystal Palace with the appointment of Michael Oliver for their home game against Fulham. 20% of their matches controlled by one person – incredible and, anywhere else in the world unbelievable. Of course being England it must all be above board mustn’t it.
The midweek games threw up some anomalies:-
Crystal Palace should probably consider themselves unlucky. Andre Marriner only called for 8 fouls against them all game yet gave them 3 yellow cards and a double yellow. A card for every two fouls. Southampton got a far more normal 2 yellow cards from 11 fouls.
In the Liverpool game referee Martin Atkinson only judged one of their 13 fouls to be worthy of a card, Leicester on the other hand had three cards from their 6 fouls
Wolves were also called for 4 yellow cards from 8 fouls, West Ham one from 10, David Coote was in charge of this match
Everton got 4 yellows and a red from their 10 fouls against Huddersfield according to Stuart Attwell. Huddersfield just a single yellow from 13 fouls.
In terms of highest number of cards per foul Brighton set the record against Fulham with 3 cards from 5 fouls, Lee Probert was in charge of this one.
Mike Dean again showed why he shouldn’t be allowed in charge of an Arsenal game with a typically one-eyed performance against Cardiff, inventing fouls against Arsenal and denying penalties for fouls on our players.
We have another of our old favourites in Martin Atkinson. It will be the third time with him in charge this season for both us and Man City. Neither team has yet recorded a win, we have a draw and a loss and City have two draws.
Chelsea (3) v Arsenal (2) 18 August – No bookings for Chelsea from 12 fouls and two bookings for Arsenal from 9 fouls.
Crystal Palace (2) v Arsenal (2) 28 October – No bookings for Palace from 8 fouls and one booking and two penalties from 16 fouls called on Arsenal.
Wolves (1) v Man City (1) 25 August – one booking for each team, 13 fouls by Wolves and 8 by City.
Liverpool (0) v Man City (0) 7 October – one booking for Liverpool right at the end of the game from 10 fouls, City 3 bookings from the same number of fouls but in minutes 21, 56 and 64.
Normally I am no fan of Martin Atkinson but he can normally deliver the results that his masters seek so in this case I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a draw giving Liverpool the opportunity to stretch their lead at the top of the table when they play on Monday evening.
Of course for that to happen we will have to play better than against Cardiff, something we should be quite capable of doing.
COYG
Greetings Andrew et al
It’s a balmy -27C here (the next 2 nights we are forecasted to be -30C for lows). I am hoping the seasonal rush is ending soon, it is hard to keep up with the data.
The Spuds are midway through their game against Newcastle, both teams having anomalously low Caution (1173 for the Spuds, and 1139 for Newcastle). An independent measure of their dirtyness is the infliction of treatments data, where the Spuds are second highest at 29 treatments for 38 minutes of short-handed play by opposition and 9 substitutions needed. Newcastle is at 26 inflictions for 57 minutes short-handed and 7 substitutions. The foul count was 4:4 just over halfway through the second half, with a single yellow to Newcastle. Marriner must have molasses in that whistle of his.
Chel$ea (1005:16:-20) v Huddersfield (1812:28:-27) under Paul Tierney 5th:31 (15:16 21:25 4:4). Here’s hoping Chel$ea continue their implosion with a draw or loss.
Leicester (1787:19:-10) v ManU (1838:17:-31) under Mike Dean 8th:26 (18:8 29:15 5:3). ManU not showing any signs of giving up their league leading 31 treatment inflictions fo 52 minutes of short-handed play and 8 substitutions. Leicester is at the opposite end, with only 10 inflictions for 15 minutes of short-handed play and 1 substitution. I will guess that Dean will man manage things so that ManU kick Leicester a lot, and both sides get cards.
Man$ity (1345:16:-18) v Arsenal (1761:37:-20) under Martin Atkinson 3th:36 (20:16 43:41 5:4). Atkinson leads all referees in having supervised 84 minutes of short-handed play for treatments. Arsenal gets carded a lot and kicked a lot, and Atkinson loves to see dirty play (he doesn’t card much of it).
StateAid (1608:29:-26) v Liverpool (811:19:-23) under Kevin Friend 4th:33 (19:14 39:19 4:1). Liverpool currently sitting around 3 standard deviations lower than the median in Caution will probably have an easy time of it as Kevin Friend tends to be harder on the home team.
Approaching the end of the game in Spudland, foul count now at 6:4. The Spuds have now inflicted 2 treatments on Newcastle, and have no cards. Newcastle hasn’t inflicted anything and has 1 card.
As widely being expected in both the Gunners and the Gooners camp. It shouldn’t come as a surprise at all to us the Gunners and the Gooners when we see that one of the 5 high profile anti-Arsenal match referees at the Pgmol who are refereeing regularly in the PL, but this time referee Martin Atkinson one of the 5 anti-Arsenal match referee in the PL is the referee that is chosen to be the centre referee in Arsenal match tomorrow at the Etihad away to Man $ity in the PL. Therefore, God saves Arsenal during the game from a likely anti-Arsenal match refereeing in the game tomorrow evening from anti-Arsenal game whistling by referee Martin Atkinson in his match officiating the game during the playing of the match. But the Gunners should also be mindful that one of the 2 match assistants for the match is likely to be a anti-Arsenal match linesman as has been the case at the Pgmo. who will likely be raising anti-Arsenal match flag in the game flagging Arsenal offside when they are on-side. And refusing to flag Man $ity offside to leave them on-side. And will even not raise the flag when Man $ity got the ball to touch but will raise it up to indicate that Arsenal have gotten the ball to touch, whereas they didn’t. And will not raise the flag whenever any Man $ity dived in the Arsenal box, say Raheem Sterling who will claim he was infringed when dived but demanding Man $ity be awarded a penalty. Whereas, if Arsenal get a genuine penalty claim, ref Martin Atkinson will wave play on or rule it a goal kick to Man $ity when he should have ruled it a corner kick to Arsenal. And the linesman will not bother to raise the flag to draw the referee’s attention that a Man $ity has infringed Arsenal in the box and it should be a penalty. Martin Atkinson will invent many fouls against Arsenal in the game. And Man $ity will employ rotational fouling against Arsenal in the game without ref Atkinson booking any Man $ity. But Arsenal will get booked for none bookable offences during the match.
These are the kind of match referring atrociousities that ref Martin Atkinson and one of his match assistants will likely commit against Arsenal in their away match to Man $ity tomorrow.
Therefore, the Gunners should physicality, mentally, technically and tactically prepared themselves and be in a total state of readiness to play the match as 13 Man $ities vs 11 Arsenals in the game. With referee Martin Atkinson and one of his 2 match assistants being the 12th and the 13th Man $ities on the field playing against 11 Arsenals and deal with the ugly situation that will likely be thrown against them they the Gunners in the game during the playing of the match by Man $ity and ref Atkinson and one of his 2 match assistants.
The Arsenal 4-4-2 diamond formation PL match starting XI and the 7 Gunners I have on the bench to start the match and play in it who I’ll like to see Emery use them for the match are below.
Starts:
Leno;
Lichtsteiner Mustafi Monreal Kolasinac;
Suarez Guendouzi Xhaka Iwobi;
Lacazette Aubameyang.
Cech Jenkinson Mavropanous Elneny Torreira Ramsey Willock.
I presume the short term injury hits: Sokratis, Koscielny, AMN and Mkhitaryan have either not fully recovered from the injuries suffered to them in games or are not yet inform to make them play in this match. Therefore, my leaving them out of my 18 for the match. I’ve also omitted the back spasm hit Ozil from playing in this big game.
As widely being expected in both the Gunners and the Gooners camp, it shouldn’t come as a surprise at all of us the Gunners and the Gooners when we see that one of the 5 high profile anti-Arsenal match referees at the Pgmol who are refereeing regularly in the PL, but this time referee Martin Atkinson one of the 5 anti-Arsenal match referees in the PL is the referee that is chosen to be the centre referee in Arsenal match tomorrow at the Etihad away to Man $ity in the PL. Therefore, God saves Arsenal during the game from a likely anti-Arsenal match refereeing in the game tomorrow evening from anti-Arsenal game whistling by referee Martin Atkinson in his match officiating the game during the playing of the match. But the Gunners should also be mindful that one of the 2 match assistants for the match is likely to be a anti-Arsenal match linesman as has been the practice at the Pgmol. who will likely be raising anti-Arsenal match flag in the game flagging Arsenal offside when they are on-side. And refusing to flag Man $ity offside to leave them on-side. And will even not raise the flag when Man $ity got the ball to touch but will raise it up to indicate that Arsenal have gotten the ball to touch, whereas they didn’t. And will not raise the flag whenever any Man $ity dives in the Arsenal box, say Raheem Sterling who will claim he was infringed when he dived but demanding Man $ity be awarded a penalty. Whereas, if Arsenal get a genuine penalty claim, ref Martin Atkinson will wave play on or rule it a goal kick to Man $ity when he should have ruled it a corner kick to Arsenal if not a penalty. And the linesman will not bother to raise the flag to draw the referee’s attention that a Man $ity has infringed Arsenal in the box warranting a penalty call and it should be a penalty. Martin Atkinson will invent many fouls against Arsenal in the game. And Man $ity will employ rotational fouling against Arsenal in the game without ref Atkinson booking any Man $ity. But Arsenal will get booked for none bookable offences during the match.
These are the kind of match referring atrociousities that ref Martin Atkinson and one of his 2 match assistants will likely commit against Arsenal in their away match to Man $ity tomorrow.
Therefore, the Gunners should physicality, mentally, technically and tactically prepared themselves thoroughly and be in a total state of readiness to play the match in the form of 13 Man $ities vs 11 Arsenals in the game. With referee Martin Atkinson and one of his 2 match assistants being the 12th and the 13th Man $ities on the field playing against 11 Arsenals and deal with the ugly situation that will likely be thrown against them they the Gunners in the game during the playing of the match by Man $ity, ref Atkinson and one of his 2 match assistants.
The Arsenal 4-4-2 diamond head formation PL match starting XI and the 7 Gunners I have on the bench to start the match and possibly play in it who I’ll like to see Emery use them for the match are below.
Starts:
Leno;
Lichtsteiner Mustafi Monreal Kolasinac;
Suarez Guendouzi Xhaka Iwobi;
Lacazette Aubameyang.
.
Bench:
Cech Jenkinson Mavropanous Elneny Torreira Ramsey Willock.
I presume the short term injury hits: Sokratis, Koscielny, AMN and Mkhitaryan have either not fully recovered from the injuries suffered to them in games or are yet be in top form to make them play in this match. Therefore, my leaving them out of my 18 for the match. I’ve also omitted the back spasm injury hit Ozil from playing in this big game.
Samuel, why are you still always posting twice? It is irritating to see there are three posts and then find two of them are you.
Does anyone find it a bit odd that just 4 days after officiating at Anfield, Martin Atkinson is refereeing a match involving Liverpool’s main title rivals at the Etihad this afternoon?
it is also amazing how small the pool of referees for the top 6 is!