Arsenal face West Ham on Wednesday in what could be a decisive fixture for both clubs in the Premier League, and Anthony Taylor has been confirmed as the referee for the match.
The Premier League announced on their official website that 43-year-old official will take charge of the match in north London, with Arsenal – West Ham being the second game Taylor has officiated for the Gunners this season.
The previous match took place at Turf Moor where Arsenal claimed a 1-0 win against Burnley, where Taylor actually awarded a penalty to the hosts. However, VAR overturned the decision after replays showed Aaron Ramsdale clearly won the ball before the Clarets forward.
Indeed, you could say that Taylor’s record against Arsenal is actually quite favourable. The referee famously took charge of the 2019/20 FA Cup final between the Gunners and Chelsea.
Taylor sent off Matteo Kovacic for a second yellow card for a foul that looked soft at best, whilst some Arsenal players got away with similar cautions for challenges that were just as serious.
Yet despite this previous record officiating the north London side, Arsenal fans are fuming that Taylor will take charge of the Gunners’ crucial match against West Ham.
After all, referees have not been kind to Arsenal in many situations this season, with the likes of Ben Godfrey and James McArthur avoiding red cards for extremely reckless tackles.
Arsenal fans rage at referee appointment for West Ham
Given the nature of Wednesday’s game, Arsenal fans are already fearing the worst from Taylor, with Granit Xhaka’s name being brought up by supporters as a player who could see red against West Ham given his reputation in the league.
Here’s what some Arsenal fans had to say about Taylor taking charge of tomorrow’s clash on Twitter…
https://twitter.com/JoshuaMk17/status/1470497264498061313
https://twitter.com/COYG2317/status/1470510733343535106
https://twitter.com/TwoRubberDucks/status/1470516378553790470
https://twitter.com/haycchhh/status/1470484218165837839
https://twitter.com/Lennyoffill2/status/1470546243180978186
https://twitter.com/AnyassFab/status/1470513476942577671
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