Referee for Arsenal vs Man Utd clash is ‘banned’ from officiating two teams for obvious reason
One of the Premier League’s most experienced referees has been placed in charge of Arsenal vs Manchester United at the Emirates
09:26, 25 Jan 2026Updated 09:26, 25 Jan 2026
Craig Pawson will be the man in the middle for Arsenal vs Manchester United(Image: Getty Images)
The referee for the Premier League showdown between Arsenal and Manchester United is barred from officiating matches involving two clubs. Experienced official Craig Pawson has been tasked with maintaining order when the old rivals lock horns at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.
The 46-year-old has been taking charge of Premier League matches since 2013. He has also refereed a Championship play-off final and an FA Cup semi-final, as well as matches in the Champions League and the Europa League.
But there is no chance he will ever officiate matches involving one team in particular – his beloved Sheffield United. Referees must disclose which team they support and any potential conflicts of interest to the PGMOL.
Referees are not assigned to matches featuring the team they support or close local rivals, meaning Sheffield-born Pawson would never oversee a match involving Sheffield Wednesday either.
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The Blades’ last Premier League campaign was 2023/24 when they were relegated with just 16 points. They are currently 17th in the Championship. Meanwhile, crisis club Wednesday are heading for League One after being hit with several points deductions amid their well-documented financial issues.
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From the 2024/25 season, the PGMOL increased transparency regarding declared allegiances following complaints about potential conflicts of interest. These rules apply to the main referee, assistant referees and VARs. The referees’ declaration includes any allegiances held by immediate family members, particularly those living in the same household.
Pawson has taken charge of 15 games this season: 12 in the Premier League, two in the Carabao Cup and one in the Championship. He has dished out 36 yellow cards – an average of 2.4 per game – and just two reds.
Pawson is a big Sheffield United fan(Image: Getty Images)
His last Arsenal game as the man in the middle was the 2-2 draw at Sunderland in November. His previous United fixture as referee was their 3-1 defeat at Brentford in September. He was on VAR duty for their derby win over Manchester City last weekend, when he controversially backed referee Anthony Taylor’s decision to only book Diogo Dalot for a high challenge on Jeremy Doku.
Meanwhile, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is set to be boosted by the returns from injury of both Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie for Arsenal. Calafiori has missed the past eight matches, while Hincapie has not featured since playing in the goalless draw with Liverpool on January 8.
For United, Matthijs de Ligt remains absent through injury. Noussair Mazraoui is back from the Africa Cup of Nations, while youngster Shea Lacey is available again after suspension.
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