Premier League confirm nightmare referee appointment for both Liverpool and Arsenal
Liverpool and Arsenal fans may feel a shudder when they see who's in charge for the pair's clash on Sunday.
The Gunners travel to Anfield in a rich vein of form, having won their last seven Premier League matches on the bounce.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will be hoping to steady the ship, following a tumultuous campaign in Merseyside.
The game is by no means an easy feat for Mikel Arteta, with Arsenal having not won at Anfield since 2012.
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And it could be about to get even harder, after Paul Tierney was announced as the man in the middle.
The 42-year-old will take charge of the heavyweight contest on Sunday afternoon.
He will be assisted by Constantine Hatzidakis and Scott Ledger, while Craig Pawson was named the fourth official, with Chris Kavanagh at Stockley Park on VAR duty.
What has he done?
Tierney has become an unpopular figure within Arsenal and Liverpool's fanbases, having been at the heart of some controversial moments down the years.
Cast your minds back to September, where Tierney was in charge of Arsenal's trip to Old Trafford to play Manchester United.
The match finished 3-1 in favour of the Red Devils, as Arteta's side suffered their first league defeat of the season.
Marcus Rashford's second-half brace sealed all three points for Erik ten Hag, but it was Tierney who got Arsenal fans' pulses racing.
The Gunners thought they had taken the lead inside the first quarter of an hour courtesy of Gabriel Martinelli, only to have the goal chalked off by Tierney for a foul by Martin Odegaard in the build-up.
Speaking after the game, Odegaard criticised the decision, stating: "In my opinion it is never a foul. I think the referee sees it and he says play on. It's a soft challenge and for VAR to come in it has to be clear and obvious."
Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has a more personal grievance with Tierney, dating back to December 2021 during a 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Tottenham.
Andy Robertson was sent off for a poor challenge on Emerson Royal, while Harry Kane escaped a red card for a similar tackle.
Liverpool also had a penalty appeal from Diogo Jota waved away, and Klopp was booked for his protestations on the sidelines.
While the German was caught on camera professing to Tierney, "I have no problems with any referees. Only you.”
One would expect more fireworks when the action gets underway on Sunday, as Arsenal hope to take one step closer to the Premier League title.
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Topics: Arsenal, Liverpool, Premier League, Jurgen Klopp, Football
Joe Adams