Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League match has been assigned a referee whose track record is unlikely to inspire confidence.
The Premier League announced the officials for Matchweek Five on their official website, naming Darren England to oversee Saturday’s Merseyside Derby at Anfield. According to Tony Scott on X, the Yorkshire-born referee’s appointment is causing concern among Liverpool fans due to an unsettling statistic.
England has refereed 11 Everton games, with the Blues losing only once under his supervision. In contrast, Liverpool’s record with England as referee is poor, with just one win in five Premier League matches.
That lone victory was a 2-0 away win against Bournemouth in February. Other results include a 3-0 loss to Brighton, draws with Crystal Palace and Southampton, and a 1-1 draw against Palace on the final day of last season.
This means a familiar figure linked to previous controversial decisions will be in charge once again. England is notably remembered by Liverpool supporters for his role in the VAR incident at Tottenham when Luis Diaz’s legitimate goal was disallowed.
Liverpool is also facing a referee team with a history of frustrating the club. Lee Betts and Scott Ledger will assist England, with Bobby Madley as the fourth official. John Brooks will handle VAR duties, supported by Akil Howson. Brooks has previously caused frustration for Liverpool, having missed two clear fouls on Mo Salah in last season’s match against Chelsea — a game that also saw manager Arne Slot visibly lose his temper, an incident that went viral.
Given these statistics and past experiences, Liverpool fans have reason to worry about history repeating itself in what is always a crucial fixture.
To summarize, England’s record with Liverpool stands at one win, three draws, and one loss in five Premier League games, yielding just seven points from a possible 15.
Liverpool will hope that the outcome is decided by the players on the pitch rather than the officials, but with this referee’s history, the appointment has already sparked concern before kickoff.
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