One of the Premier League’s most experienced referees has been appointed in charge of Arsenal vs Manchester United at the Emirates
Craig Pawson will be in midfield for Arsenal vs. Manchester United (Image: Getty Images)
The referee for the Premier League showdown between Arsenal and Manchester United has been banned from officiating matches involving both clubs. Experienced officer Craig Pawson was tasked with keeping order on Emirates Airlines when an old rival honked his horn on Sunday afternoon.
The 46-year-old has been in charge of Premier League matches since 2013. He has refereed not only the Champions League and Europa League, but also the Championship play-off final and the FA Cup semi-final.
But there is no chance he will officiate a match involving a particular team, namely his beloved Sheffield United. Referees must disclose to PGMOL which team they support and any potential conflicts of interest.
Pawson, who was born in Sheffield, will never oversee a match involving Sheffield Wednesday, as referees cannot be assigned to matches between teams they support or close local rivals.
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The Blades’ last Premier League season was in 2023-24, when they were relegated with 16 points. They currently sit in 17th place in the championship. Meanwhile, Crisis Club Wednesday are headed towards League One after suffering several point deductions amid well-documented financial problems.
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From the 2024/25 season, PGMOL has increased transparency regarding declared loyalties following complaints about potential conflicts of interest. These rules apply to the referee, assistant referees and VAR. Judgment declarations include the loyalty held by close relatives, especially those living in the same household.
Pawson has managed 15 games this season, 12 in the Premier League, two in the Carabao Cup and one in the Championship. He issued 36 yellow cards (an average of 2.4 per game) and only two red cards.
Pawson is a big Sheffield United fan (Image: Getty Images)
His last game for Arsenal as a central player was in a 2-2 draw against Sunderland in November. The last time he refereed against United was a 3-1 defeat at Brentford in September. He was on VAR duty in last weekend’s derby win against Manchester City, and caused controversy by upholding referee Anthony Taylor’s decision to only use Diogo Dalot for a high challenge on Jeremy Doku.
Meanwhile, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta will be boosted by the return from injury of Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie. Calafioli has missed the past eight games and Hincapie has not featured since the goalless draw with Liverpool on January 8.
Matthijs de Ligt remains absent from United due to injury. Nousser Mazraoui returned from the African Cup of Nations and youngster Sia Lacy returned from suspension.
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