The lowdown on the man in the middle for Liverpool’s short trip to neighbours Everton on Saturday…
The Premier League has announced the officiating teams who will be taking charge of top-flight fixtures during Matchweek 33 of the 2017/18 season.
The players of Liverpool and Everton, who meet at Goodison Park for a 12.30pm BST kick-off on Saturday, April 7, will be joined on the pitch by referee Michael Oliver.
Simon Bennett and Daniel Cook are his designated assistants, while Chris Kavanagh will be patrolling the technical areas in the role of fourth official.
Oliver’s 35 previous games this season have yielded a total of 125 yellow cards and six red.
Liverpool’s only previous encounter with the 33-year-old this term ended in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield in November (no cards shown).
Everton have had two encounters with Oliver; drawing 1-1 away to Brighton & Hove Albion in October (five yellow cards shown, one to Everton) and defeating West ham United 4-0 at home in November (three yellow cards shown, two to Everton).
The Ashington native’s yellow card average this campaign currently stands at 3.57-per-game, with a red card shown every 5.83 matches.
Oliver is associated with the Northumberland Football Association and has been a member of the Select Group of Premier League referees since 2010.
He was promoted to FIFA’s list for European and International matches in 2012.
So we know who will be holding the whistle, will it influence the outcome? Let us know your thoughts on the game below or vote in our poll…
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