The lowdown on the man in the middle for Liverpool’s trip to Stoke City on Wednesday…
The Premier League has announced the officiating teams who will be taking charge of top-flight fixtures during Matchweek 14 of 2017/18 season.
The players of Liverpool and Stoke City, who meet at the bet365 Stadium for a 8.00pm GMT kick-off on Wednesday, November 28, will be joined on the pitch by referee Martin Atkinson.
Lee Betts and Stephen Child are his designated assistants, while Chris Kavanagh will be patrolling the technical areas in the role of fourth official.
Atkinson’s nine previous games this season have yielded a total of 21 yellow cards and one red.
One of those matches was Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United at Anfield on October 14 (two yellow cards shown, none to Liverpool).
The Reds encountered the 46-year-old on three occasions during 2016/17; winning two and losing one.
Overall, in the 43 matches he refereed last term, Atkinson handed out a total of 146 yellow cards and three red.
The Bradford native’s yellow card average finished at 3.39-per-game, with a red card shown every 14.3 matches.
Atkinson is associated with the West Riding County Football Association and has been part of the Select Group of Premier League referees since 2005.
He was promoted to FIFA’s list for European and International matches in 2006.
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