By Bulldog Drummond
The referee is either Andre Marriner or Mike Dean, depending on which website one reads. Marriner we have not had at all. However last season we had him in charge of our games three times. Mike Dean we have had once for the game in October against Palace.
Last season, six referees oversaw Arsenal matches more than once – Mr Marriner got the job three times. He awarded an average of 10.67 fouls per game against Arsenal (compared with an average across the season of 9.08) and 1.67 yellow cards per game (compared with an average of 1.24).
Mike Dean however we only had the once and the way he dealt with Arsenal on that occasion was utterly frightening. We got 12 fouls given against Arsenal and three yellow cards – a ludicrous performance by a referee who simply seemed to start with the notion that Arsenal were a fouling team and needed to be punished.
Indeed which ever of these two referees is actually taking the game (and the more recent reports say it is Dean) if this referee performs to type, he will be awarding more fouls than usual against Arsenal and more yellow cards than usual against us as well. We are in fact going to be playing 12 men.
Now although I can’t prove it at all, one very clear way of reading the statistics is that referees are chosen with specific situations in mind, and this is obviously one that helps Everton.
But let us also have a look at the clubs’ performances. We have already seen that in the last six and ten games Arsenal have done much better than Everton, but that if we compare Everton’s home form against Arsenal’s away form, Everton certainly look like potential winners. However if the suggested crowd protest comes off, that could give Arsenal quite a boost – just as teams we play against have been greatly helped in recent seasons by the negativity created by Arsenal Supporters Trust), Black Scarf (who organised multiple protests) and Arsenal Fans TV (the ranting platform).
Generally speaking we beat Everton – we have won 108 games against them, drawn 46 and lost 62. However we have only won one game against them in the last five.
| Date | Match | Res | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Apr 2019 | Everton v Arsenal | L | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 21 Dec 2019 | Everton v Arsenal | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 23 Feb 2020 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 3-2 | Premier League |
| 19 Dec 2020 | Everton v Arsenal | L | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 23 Apr 2021 | Arsenal v Everton | L | 0-1 | Premier League |
But go back a little further and things were a lot better
| Date | Match | Res | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mar 2015 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 18 Jul 2015 | Everton v Arsenal | W | 1-3 | Asia Trophy |
| 24 Oct 2015 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 19 Mar 2016 | Everton v Arsenal | W | 0-2 | Premier League |
| 13 Dec 2016 | Everton v Arsenal | L | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 21 May 2017 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 3-1 | Premier League |
| 22 Oct 2017 | Everton v Arsenal | W | 2-5 | Premier League |
| 3 Feb 2018 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 5-1 | Premier League |
| 23 Sep 2018 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 2-0 | Premier League |
So we very much need to shake off the memories of that recent run and recall the fact that even though we had, overall, a poor season last campaign, coming in eighth, that was pretty much run of the mill for Everton. They have only come above 8th once in the last seven seasons when they finished up seventh.
The Evening Standard has gone out on its own suggesting Emile Smith Rowe has an injury and may not be able to play. They may of course have simply made that up. We’ll come to that in the next piece.
- Everton v Arsenal: comparisons of the current state of the clubs
- Everton v Arsenal, the turmoil in the build up, the walk out by the fans.
My view of Dean is that he can be quite a capable referee when he chooses. It follows that his unfair treatment of Arsenal is no accident. Remember the last-minute penalty against Clichy in 2008, rewarding a Rooney dive over Almunia, red card to Eboue against Spurs, ditto Coquelin, his celebratory dance when Spurs scored, a ridiculous handball award against Fabregas, sending off Szczesny against Man City, to name a few incidents from a long list of too many to recall.
Our team definitely will be competing against 12 men tomorrow.
Michael Leslie Dean has been appointed as the match official.
Assistants: Eddie Smart, Mark Scholes. Fourth official: Andy Madley. VAR: Stuart Attwell. Assistant VAR: Stuart Burt.
Career Highlights:
Late 2005 saw Dean banned from officiating due to breach of contract with PGMOL.
In 2006, Dean gained the distinction of being the first referee to be removed from an FA Cup final. As a member of the Cheshire FA, lives in the Wirral, close to Liverpool.
2008: Ignored foul in penalty box on Adebayor, in the next attack presented Birmingham City with a foul in the penalty box for them to equalise.
2009: Following on from previous season ignored Arsenal penalty claim after Fletcher handled the ball in penalty box. Gave Rooney a penalty for running into Almunia.
In the North London Derby Dean disallowed Eboue’s goal and sent him off soon after.
2012 unable to contain his excitement Dean celebrated Tottenham’s opening goal against Arsenal.
2015; Michael, unable to see what was later described as violent conduct by Diego Costa, the match official instead sent off two Arsenal players.
After being filmed celebrating a goal by Tottenham, Dean claimed that “I wouldn’t say it was a goal celebration, I was celebrating an advantage… It is a foul and I’ve played on, probably shouldn’t have put my arms out but it was good.”
2017: Dean failed to award a penalty against Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi denying a clear chance for Arsenal to equalise.
2018; Leslie helped West Brom to a valuable point against Arsenal by awarding a penalty for a player moving his hand away from the football. An incident that was later described by the Head of the PGMOL as a “mistake”.
2021; Failed to book Palace midfield James McArthur after he cynically fouled Bukayo Saka during a promising attack. When Saka carried out a similar foul on McArthur during another promising attack, was quick to punish Arsenal with a yellow card. Moments later when James McArthur kicked the Arsenal player, Dean, declined to follow the laws of football and show a red card, instead opting for a yellow card.