The lowdown on the man in the middle for Liverpool’s hosting of Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday…
The Premier League has announced the officiating teams who will be taking charge of top-flight fixtures during Matchweek 38 of the 2017/18 season.
The players of Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion, who meet at Anfield for a 3.00pm BST kick-off on Sunday, May 13, will be joined on the pitch by referee Kevin Friend.
Mark Scholes and Sian Massey-Ellis are his designated assistants, while Mike Jones will be patrolling the technical areas in the role of fourth official.
Friend’s 32 previous games this season have yielded a total of just 66 yellow cards and one red.
The Leicester based whistle blower’s yellow card average stands at a miserly 2.06-per-game, with a red card shown every 32 matches.
Liverpool have won all four of their previous 2017/18 fixtures controlled by Friend, scoring a combined 12 goals and conceding none.
The most recent outing was the 3-0 victory at Huddersfield Town in January (no cards shown).
Brighton have drawn one and lost two of the three matches they’ve played under the 46-year-old’s watchful eye this term.
Friend is associated with the Leicestershire and Rutland County Football Association and became a member of the Select Group of Premier League referees in 2009.
The 2013 League Cup final official isn’t currently on FIFA’s list for European and international matches.
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