Chris Kavanagh will return to Premier League refereeing duties this weekend, overseeing the Manchester United versus Crystal Palace match after a troubled FA Cup performance involving Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
The 40-year-old official was at the center of controversy during the FA Cup fourth-round tie at Villa Park earlier this month. Alongside assistant referee Nick Greenhalgh, Kavanagh made several questionable calls, starting just 14 minutes into the match when Tammy Abraham scored despite an offside player being involved in the build-up.
Kavanagh’s team correctly issued a red card to goalkeeper Marco Bizot for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. However, they controversially refrained from dismissing Lucas Digne after a dangerous shin-high tackle on Jacob Murphy. Digne was again involved in a disputed decision when Kavanagh awarded a free kick for a handball offense clearly committed inside the penalty area.
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Following these errors, both Kavanagh and Greenhalgh were sidelined for the subsequent weekend’s fixtures. Yet, Kavanagh remained active internationally, officiating a Europa Conference League play-off between Kosovo’s FC Drita and Slovenia’s NK Celje shortly after.
The Premier League has now confirmed Kavanagh’s return for this weekend’s fixture at Old Trafford, where he will be supported by linesmen Dan Cook and Ian Hussin, and Sam Barrott as the fourth official. Tony Harrington will oversee VAR operations from Stockley Park with assistance from Neil Davies. Meanwhile, Greenhalgh will not officiate Premier League matches and instead will oversee Bristol City’s Championship match against Watford.
In game week 29, Kavanagh is set to referee Arsenal’s away clash with Brighton, but Greenhalgh remains absent from the top flight. Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers face off at Molineux in a key Midlands derby, refereed by Craig Pawson. Villa, currently third and ten points behind leaders Arsenal, will be eager to tighten their hold on a Champions League qualification spot as they chase their first-ever second-place Premier League finish. Wolves, struggling in 20th place with just one win this season, will be desperate to avoid relegation. Their recent 2-2 draw with Arsenal shows they remain a challenging opponent.
This weekend’s fixtures carry significant implications, with Villa aiming to capitalize on their position and Wolves fighting to turn their fortunes around.