Arsenal handed referee for Liverpool clash who made shocking decision in same fixture last season

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Arsenal are set to take on Liverpool in a huge clash in the Premier League title race, and there will be a lot of focus on the match officials.

Arsenal will be without William Saliba after their important centre-back was sent off in a defeat to Bournemouth, with the Frenchman receiving his side’s third red card of the season.

There has been plenty of scrutiny over the PGMOL and the way Arsenal are refereed, as Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard remain the only players in the Premier League to have been red-carded for the offence of delaying the restart.

The referee for Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool has now been confirmed, and it is the same official who took charge of this fixture last season.

• READ MORE: The eight worst Arsenal VAR decisions of all time in Premier League games

Anthony Taylor confirmed as referee for Arsenal vs Liverpool

The Premier League have now confirmed that Anthony Taylor will be the referee for Arsenal vs Liverpool, with Michael Salisbury on VAR duty.

Taylor’s last game was Arsenal’s 0-0 draw away at Manchester City in March. He has refereed 50 Arsenal games in his career, with the Gunners winning 30, drawing 12, and losing just eight times.

The 46-year-old has refereed three clashes between Arsenal and Liverpool. Arsenal won the first 4-1 in 2015, before a 3-1 defeat at Anfield in 2019, a game in which Nicolas Pepe shone on his first Arsenal start.

He was the referee for Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Liverpool last season, but there was one hugely controversial moment.

Anthony Taylor angered Arsenal fans in victory over Liverpool last season

Arsenal produced a superb performance to dismantle Liverpool at the Emirates in February, but the scoreline could have been even more flattering.

Trossard came off the bench to score Arsenal’s third, but he could have even added a fourth if it were not for Taylor.

In the final minutes of the game, Rice played Trossard through on goal, but Taylor inexplicably blew his whistle, with Arsenal fans bewildered as there was no apparent offence, but Trossard was denied the chance to score again.

Whilst it had no bearing on the result, Arsenal fans will certainly be keeping an eye on Taylor’s decisions as focus intensifies over the decisions given to the Gunners.