Former Premier League referee: Arsenal fans right to question officiating choice for Man City clash

The selection of Peter Bankes to officiate the high-stakes Premier League encounter between Arsenal and Manchester City has been criticized as ill-advised. Arsenal supporters have expressed concerns over Bankes’ ties to Merseyside and the Liverpool County Football Association.

This appointment by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) places unnecessary pressure on both Bankes and the organization itself, especially considering Arsenal’s title race with Liverpool. Following the recent controversy surrounding Michael Oliver’s incorrect dismissal of Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly against Wolves, which led to death threats against the referee, this decision seems particularly unwise.

While the integrity of match officials should never be questioned, if any contentious incidents occur during the match, Bankes will likely face intense scrutiny. Arsenal fans are already frustrated with Oliver’s decision regarding Lewis-Skelly, and the VAR official Darren England should have intervened in that situation.

The PGMOL’s subsequent defense of the incorrect red card decision only exacerbated tensions. If Premier League officials consistently made correct decisions, most supporters would have no reason to complain.

Ultimately, this controversial appointment adds unnecessary pressure to an already highly anticipated match between two fierce rivals.