Arsenal will face rival Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium, and Michael Oliver will officiate this high-profile matchup. Squakwa also compiled statistics related to his history of policing gunmen.
Oliver has officiated 9 Premier League games this season, tied for the most with multiple referees - which proves that he is still one of the top referees in the league. He has yet to officiate an Arsenal game this season, but did referee Tottenham Hotspur's 3-0 win over Burnley in their first game of the season. This officiating was quite challenging for Oliver, especially considering that North London derbies are known for their intense fighting, tension and drama.
This will be the 63rd time Oliver has refereed an Arsenal game in his Premier League career, and the Gunners are the team he has refereed the second most games. During this period, Arsenal achieved 31 wins, 13 draws and 18 losses. Oliver showed 109 yellow cards and 8 red cards to Gunners players. It is worth noting that he only awarded Arsenal 5 penalty kicks, while Liverpool received 18 under his refereeing. Gunners fans will still remember his controversial sending off Skelly in the 1-0 away win at Wolves last season - the last time he officiated Arsenal.
Oliver's key statistics for Arsenal in the Premier League: 62 games, 31 wins, 13 draws, and 18 losses. The Gunners scored 106 points during the period, averaging 0.08 penalties per game, 1.76 yellow cards per game, and 0.13 red cards per game.
The last time Oliver officiated the North London Derby was in the 2023-24 season, when Arsenal defeated their opponent 3-2 away from home. Although the five-goal battle was exciting, Oliver's officiating work was relatively smooth, and he only showed a yellow card to Gunners player Thomas Partey in the 83rd minute.