The Premier League have now confirmed the list of match officials to oversee proceedings between Tottenham and Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
Manchester City will be looking to further build on their return to winning ways off the back of difficult performances and results against Manchester United and Bodo/Glimt in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League respectively.
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The following victories saw City defeat struggling Wolves via a 2-0 scoreline at the Etihad Stadium to narrow the gap between themselves and Arsenal to four points following the Gunners’ 2-3 defeat to Manchester United at home 24 hours later.
A return to European competition in midweek then saw Pep Guardiola’s side narrowly secure a place in the league phase’s top-eight and automatic qualification into the last-16 of the Champions League thanks to a 2-0 win over Galatasaray.
A much sterner test is expected this weekend however, as City travel to North London aiming to take all three points from Thomas Frank’s Tottenham side – who themselves have been hit and miss so far this campaign.
And ahead of the meeting between Tottenham and Manchester City, the Premier League have now announced the list of match officials to oversee proceedings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium!
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Match Referee
The Premier League have announced that Robert Jones has been appointed into the role of on-field match referee for the clash between Tottenham and Manchester City in North London on Sunday afternoon.
The 38-year-old has taken charge of 19 games so far this season across six different competitions; the Premier League, UEFA Conference League, international friendlies, UEFA Champions League qualifying, EFL Championship, and the Carabao Cup.
In those 19 outings, Jones has issued a total of 76 yellow cards but is yet to issue any second yellow cards or straight red card dismissals, and has so far awarded three penalty kicks in those matches.
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Manchester City’s record in matches officiated by Robert Jones currently stands at 11 wins, one draw, and one defeat, with the last contest involving the referee being the festive 1-2 victory at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest.
That contest brought about plenty of frustration from the side of the hosts and manager Sean Dyche, as the club later requested explanations from the PGMOL and audio between referee Jones and the VAR officials at Stockley Park.
Dyche felt Rayan Cherki’s 83rd-minute winner should have been ruled out for a foul on Morgan Gibbs-White, and that Robert Jones should have shown Ruben Dias a second yellow card after the half-time interval.
Speaking after the game, Dyche said, “Such an easy game to referee, in my opinion, an easy decision for VAR. When you played so well, to come in and have to talk about officials affecting the game – they clearly did. Everyone in the stadium, everyone at home could see that.”
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He continued, “Morgan Gibbs-White clearly gets pushed to the floor and the same player is involved in blocking the ball. But he can’t block it because as he jumps up, it goes through the bit of his body which he would have blocked it with. Whichever way you look at it, it’s a foul.”
In response, the PGMOL admitted to Nottingham Forest that Dias should have been sent off for a second yellow card, while Forest themselves later admitted that the winning goal was right to stand with no foul on Gibbs-White before Cherki’s strike.
Assistant Referees
Accompanying Robert Jones at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon will be an assistant referee pairing of Neil Davies and Nick Greenhalgh, the Premier League have confirmed.
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Video Assistant Referees
Overseeing Tottenham against Manchester City from the VAR Hub at Stockley Park will be the appointed Video Assistant Referee Jarred Gillett, sitting alongside Assistant Video Assistant Referee Blake Antrobus.
Fourth Official
Standing between the two dugouts in North London and ensuring everything is kept in order between Spurs’ Thomas Frank and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola will be the appointed Fourth Official for the contest, referee Andy Madley.
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