Michael Oliver has been at the center of the controversy following Liverpool’s dramatic draw against Everton in the penultimate Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
Simon Hooper will be the on-field referee for Liverpool’s Premier League match against Wolves on Sunday (2pm). After Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Everton, the Reds will try to extend their advantage at the summit.
The match, in which James Tarkowski equalised in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time, was overshadowed by Michael Oliver’s four red cards. Liverpool had three players dismissed after the final whistle, including Curtis Jones, Arne Slot, and assistant Sipke Hulshoff.
Liverpool’s Dutch coaches were unable to hold a post-match press conference after their dismissals due to red cards. Abdoulaye Doucoure and Jones, meanwhile, were both shown second yellow cards for their roles in a scuffle near the away end following the final whistle at Goodison Park.
Oliver, who was chastised for sending off Myles Lewis-Skelly during Arsenal’s recent triumph over Wolves, has not been suspended for this weekend’s fixtures. Instead, he will be the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for Chelsea’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday and Aston Villa’s match against struggling Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Adrian Holmes and Simon Long will assist Hooper at Anfield, while VAR will be handled by John Brooks at Stockley Park. Following Slot’s red card at Goodison Park, the Premier League issued material on Thursday, which was quickly erased, indicating that the 46-year-old would face a two-match touchline ban.
The former Feyenoord coach has already served one suspension from the dugout after receiving three yellow cards in the first half of his Premier League debut. Slot will talk to the media before the Wolves game on Friday.
