Appointing him to oversee the biggest fixture in the Premier League this weekend, Arsenal vs Manchester City, is a pretty strong indication of just how much PGMOL value Michael Oliver – arguably English football's top official at this moment in time. The 33-year-old certainly isn't to be messed with; from the 21 referees to feature in the Premier League last season, he ranked in the top seven for fouls per game, fouls per tackle, penalties per game and red cards per game. Whereas some referees prefer to let the game flow as much as possible, Oliver is more than prepared to make his presence felt via the whistle. In theory then, that should disadvantage Arsenal more than Manchester...
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