The Carabao Cup final referee wouldn't have been allowed to take charge of the game if Liverpool were involved.
Arsenal and Manchester City meet in Sunday's Carabao Cup final in what is the first major piece of silverware on offer this season.
The result could prove crucial given both teams are in the thick of the Premier League title race.
READ MORE: Arsenal and Manchester City make League Cup history before a ball is even kicked in final
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The Wembley Stadium showdown will be officiated by Peter Bankes but he wouldn't have been allowed to referee the match if Liverpool had reached the final.
Liverpool are one of two teams Bankes is banned from officiating by the league because of his county FA being the Liverpool Football Association.
That also means he is barred from overseeing matches involving Liverpool's cross-city rivals Everton.
Premier League referees must disclose which teams they support, preventing any bias from matches they take charge of.
Bankes became eligible for the Carabao Cup final after Liverpool were dumped out of the competition by Crystal Palace in the fourth round. Palace ran out 3-0 winners at Anfield in October.
Even though Bankes will be disappointed Liverpool won't be in the Carabao Cup final, he has the opportunity to referee a domestic cup final.
He will be joined by assistants Neil Davies and Steve Meredith, with Marc Perry named as a reserve assistant referee. Tom Bramall is the fourth official.
VAR is in place for the Carabao Cup final, with John Brooks and Dan Robathanin in the booth.
This season, Bankes has taken charge of 22 Premier League fixtures and has awarded six penalties and brandished the red card four times.
He has overseen 14 Arsenal games during his refereeing career, including their Carabao Cup second leg semi-final clash against Chelsea.
Bankes has taken charge of 12 Man City matches, including their 5-1 defeat to Arsenal last season.
Topics: Carabao Cup, Liverpool, Football, Arsenal, Manchester City
Nasir Jabbar