The officials for Arsenal’s opening day Premier League clash with Wolves have been announced.
Mikel Arteta will be eager to see his Arsenal side get off to a winning start in the Premier League when the 2024/25 campaign commences on Saturday.
The Gunners will welcome Wolves to the Emirates to kick off the season with the only objective being to get three points.
While the start of the new campaign is eagerly awaited, some anxiety may arise from Arteta’s camp after learning who will officiate the fixture.
- READ MORE: Premier League winner tells Arsenal exactly how to bounce back from Man City title blow last season
Paul Tierney will be in charge of VAR for Arsenal’s Premier League opener against Wolves
On Tuesday, the Premier League announced who the officials will be for match week one of the 2024/25 calendar.
Jarred Gillett will be the referee for Arsenal’s duel with Wolves, with Darren Cann and Nick Greenhalgh as the assistants and Gavin Ward as the fourth official.
What will be brought to Arsenal’s attention is that Paul Tierney will be in control of VAR, with Natalie Aspinall as his assistant.
VAR has caused plenty of controversy since it arrived in the Premier League, with Tierney in particular being an unpopular figure in Arteta’s eyes.
What Mikel Arteta once said about Tierney
Arguably one of the hardest refereeing decisions to understand in recent years was Gabriel Martinelli’s disallowed goal against Manchester United in 2023.
The Brazilian’s opener was cancelled out due to an alleged foul in the build-up, with Tierney being the man behind the on-field decision.
It wasn’t the first time that the referee has angered Arteta, as the Spaniard unleashed a scathing rant in the official’s direction following the Gunners’ 2022 defeat to Tottenham.
At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on that day, Rob Holding was sent off and conceded a penalty for encroaching Son Heung-min however, the South Korean’s earlier foul on the defender was ignored.
After the game, which ended in a dismal 3-0 defeat to Arsenal, Arteta made no mistake in calling out the performance of Tierney, as relayed by Sky Sports.
“If I say what I think I am suspended for six months, I don’t know how to lie so I prefer not to say what I think. I cannot say what I think,” Arteta explained.
“I want the referee to come in front of the camera and explain his decisions. It’s a shame because such a beautiful game was destroyed today.”
Tierney’s actions at such a pivotal moment in a fixture as emotionally charged as the North London Derby wouldn’t have been forgotten, which could cause some concern as the 43-year-old prepares to take charge of VAR against Wolves.
All Arsenal can do is do the talking on the pitch to avoid a scenario that sees the officials dictate the result, with Arteta set to come up against a referee whom he has an unfortunate history with.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
