Just a few days after being demoted to officiate in the English Championship, referee Anthony Taylor is returning to the Premier League to control the upcoming Chelsea – Man City match this weekend.
Mr. Taylor had to officiate in the English Championship due to a severe mistake of the Wolves – Newcastle match in the 10th round when he “imagined” a penalty for the away team. Over the weekend, while overseeing the Preston – Coventry match, the 45-year-old referee once again stirred controversy when he awarded a very soft penalty to the home team due to a slight collision. Thanks to this controversial penalty, Preston won 3-2. Many fans on social media mocked Taylor, joking that he would continue to be demoted to officiate in lower divisions, including local leagues.
Despite not performing well and receiving a demotion, Taylor is being reinstated in the Premier League this week by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). Not only that, PGMOL has designated him to officiate the most important match of the 12th round between Chelsea and Man City.
PGMOL’s decision has sparked a strong backlash, especially from Chelsea fans, who have often suffered due to Taylor’s decisions. Last season, many Chelsea supporters signed a petition to ban Taylor from officiating their team’s matches, but PGMOL did not approve it.
Chelsea will enter the showdown at Stamford Bridge in high spirits after a 4-1 victory over second-placed Tottenham on November 7. Thanks to that win, Mauricio Pochettino’s team climbed to 10th place with 15 points. Man City also benefited from Chelsea’s victory, maintaining their lead at the top of the table with 27 points.
Man City has won and kept clean sheets in all competitions in their last six meetings with Chelsea. In their two most recent away matches against Chelsea, Guardiola’s team won both by a score of 1-0. Chelsea’s most recent victory over Man City was in the 2020-2021 Champions League final, with a 1-0 scoreline.
