The match between Liverpool and Man City in the Premier League on Saturday will be officiated by Chris Kavanagh, who has also been confirmed as the VAR.
Despite coming from Greater Manchester, Kavanagh has been appointed referee for Liverpool’s match at the Etihad before they travel there.
Tim Wood will be Stuart Attwell’s assistant as the lead video assistant referee (VAR) for the match on Saturday.
The fourth official on the field will be Thomas Bramall, with assistant referees Simon Bennett and Dan Robathan.
Liverpool has a strong record when Kavanagh is on the field. He has led the team 15 times in his career. The Reds have only lost two of the fifteen games since 2018. They have won thirteen of them.
Actually, since he took over as referee six games ago, Liverpool has won six straight, including this season’s victories over Nottingham Forest and West Ham.
Although Kavanagh has officiated two Merseyside Derby matches, the 38-year-old has never officiated a Liverpool game involving one of the major Manchester teams.
Attwell, the Reds’ VAR appointment on Saturday seems less promising. Tom Cairney, a player for Fulham, claimed earlier this year that the referee informed him “it wasn’t a penalty” after VAR gave Liverpool the advantage.
If the presence of Kavanagh as the referee is auspicious, the Reds’ track record at the stadium negates that. At the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool has only won one league title in the previous fifteen years.
Even though they recognize the strength of the opposition, the Reds have only won three of their last fifteen games at the venue in all competitions. This is not a good record.
If Liverpool is to win three points back down the M62 on Saturday night, they will need both performance and officiating to go their way, especially with players returning from international duty.