Alious
Liverpool head to the Stadium of Light under pressure, desperate to arrest a worrying dip in Premier League form as they prepare for a midweek showdown with Sunderland.
Any momentum gained from the emphatic 4–1 win over Newcastle United has quickly evaporated. Defeat against Manchester City last time out underlined the Reds’ inconsistency, leaving them sixth in the table, five points adrift of the top four and with just one victory in their last seven league outings.
Sunderland now lie in wait in what many expect to be a demanding test, and ahead of the fixture the Premier League have confirmed the match officials for the encounter.
Chris Kavanagh has been appointed as the referee, supported by assistants Dan Cook and Marc Perry. Thomas Bramall will operate as fourth official, while Darren England and Craig Taylor take charge of VAR duties.
The selection of Kavanagh is unlikely to go down well with Liverpool boss Arne Slot. The Dutchman has already crossed paths with the referee this season, most notably during Liverpool’s 3–0 defeat to Manchester City — a game that left Slot openly frustrated.
In that match, Virgil van Dijk saw a goal chalked off for offside after Andy Robertson was deemed to have obstructed the goalkeeper’s line of sight. Slot strongly disagreed with the call and later pointed out what he felt was an inconsistency, highlighting a similar goal Kavanagh allowed Manchester City against Wolves in the 2024/25 campaign.
Reflecting on the decision afterwards, Slot made it clear he believed the officials had erred. He argued that Robertson had not interfered with play and suggested the delay in raising the offside flag indicated uncertainty. While he admitted Liverpool were poor in the first half and couldn’t guarantee a different outcome, Slot maintained the call had a significant impact on the contest.
Despite the controversy, Kavanagh has a long history officiating Liverpool matches. He has refereed the Reds on 28 occasions, issuing 43 yellow cards without ever showing a red. Three penalties have been awarded in those games, with Liverpool recording 17 wins, four draws and seven defeats under his watch.
With tensions already simmering, his appointment adds another layer of intrigue to a fixture Liverpool can ill afford to slip up in.
Alious
