Aston Villa host Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday evening as they aim to build on their opening day victory over West Ham United.
The Villans snatched three points late on as Jhon Duran came off the bench to score the winning goal 11 minutes from time.
This was the ideal start for Unai Emery against a tough West Ham side but now the real test comes at home to his former club Arsenal.
Last season, Villa essentially stopped the Gunners from lifting the Premier League title by doing the double over them, including a 1-0 win at Villa Park in November.
It remains Mikel Arteta’s only league loss in the calendar year and although it will be difficult, Emery will be keen to inflict the Spaniard’s second league defeat of 2024.
For both sets of supporters, it promises to be an entertaining spectacle however, the referee selection for the upcoming clash may have fans worried.
- READ MORE: Jamie Carragher delivers ‘massive’ Unai Emery verdict in Aston Villa Champions League prediction
Michael Oliver selected as the referee for Aston Villa vs Arsenal
The Premier League have now confirmed that Michael Oliver will be the referee for Aston Villa’s clash against Arsenal, with Peter Bankes on VAR duty.
Oliver has been the man in the middle for 36 Villa matches across his career, winning 11, drawing seven and losing 18. As per Transfermarkt, he’s dished out 68 yellow cards, three reds and two penalties in these fixtures.
Whilst he’s one of the most experienced and well-known referees in the top flight, fans will be able to remember one blunder he made that cost Villa previously.
Michael Oliver wrongly sent Douglas Luiz off in Villa vs Fulham in 2022
In October 2022, Villa travelled to Craven Cottage to play against Fulham and the fixture was marred by controversy involving former midfielder Douglas Luiz.
The Brazilian was shown a straight red card by Michael Oliver after the video assistant referee adjudged him to have head-butted Aleksandar Mitrovic off the ball.
- READ MORE: How Douglas Luiz fared on his competitive Juventus debut vs Como after leaving Aston Villa
Replays showed that Luiz was wrongly dismissed and was successful in appealing his ban, with the midfielder starring in the following match – a 4-0 win over Brentford.
Remarkably, Villa fans may now thank the 26-year-old for being sent off with the score at 1-0 as the Birmingham outfit went on to lose the clash 3-0 and Steven Gerrard was sacked not long after full-time.
The Englishman’s dismissal was, of course, a telling moment in Villa’s recent history, as it allowed them to hire the world-class Unai Emery, who has since delivered the club many moments of euphoria.
