Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League match has been assigned a referee whose track record is unlikely to inspire much confidence among fans.
The Premier League has announced the officiating team for Matchweek Five, confirming that Darren England will oversee the Merseyside Derby at Anfield on Saturday.
As highlighted by Tony Scott on X, the Yorkshire-born referee’s appointment raises concerns for Liverpool supporters due to his previous record. England has officiated 11 Everton matches, during which the Blues have only lost once.
In contrast, Liverpool have struggled under his officiating. Out of five Premier League games with England in charge, the Reds have only secured one win — a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth in February. The other results include a heavy 3-0 loss to Brighton and draws against Crystal Palace (twice) and Southampton.
Adding to the concern is England’s past involvement in controversial decisions, most notably during last season’s match against Tottenham, where Luis Diaz had a legitimate goal wrongly disallowed due to a VAR error.
England will be supported by assistants Lee Betts and Scott Ledger, with Bobby Madley as the fourth official. John Brooks will handle VAR, alongside assistant Akil Howson. Brooks also has history with Liverpool, having missed two clear fouls on Mo Salah in a game against Chelsea last season — a match that saw manager Arne Slot visibly frustrated on the sidelines, a moment that later went viral.
Given these past incidents and statistical concerns — just seven points from a possible 15 in matches officiated by England — many Liverpool fans are understandably uneasy. While the hope is that Saturday’s result will be decided by the players on the pitch, the choice of officials has already sparked anxiety ahead of one of the season’s most significant fixtures.
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