Is there anything more depressing than having to write about the worst referee in the Premier League?

Having him in charge of an Arsenal game, I guess.

Yes, it’s Anthony Taylor time once again, a man so reviled by Arsenal fans he makes Mike Dean seem like the cuddly, more preferable option under any circumstance.

Sending off three Arsenal players in his last five Arsenal games (excluding the one in which he replaced Chris Foy against West Ham), this is a man who goes out of his way to get the big decisions wrong.

It’s not that he’s biased, he’s just awful, and having watched him on a number of occasions taking charge of games that haven’t involved the Gunners, it’s astonishing that he is allowed to be in charge of breathing let alone a top level football game.

A Premier League referee since 2010, Taylor is even FIFA listed which is astounding as he doesn’t seem to have even a basic grasp on the game he is supposed to be in charge of.

When you read his Wikipedia page they even have a paragraph that starts ‘Taylor’s first experience of public criticism…’

Even Wiki knows he’s awful.

Taylor loves a red card, usually issued by giving two yellows. He once sent off three players in a Leeds game for second yellows despite the fact that ‘there wasn’t a dirty challenge [in the game]‘ according to Simon Grayson who was Leeds manager at the time.

The list of managers (and players) who have spoken out about Taylor is impressive. Just Google his name if you don’t believe me.

His Wikipedia page reads like a veritable ‘how shall I cock up next?’

This season he’s sent off Calum Chambers for two nothing ‘challenges‘ while allowing Charlie Adam to WWF Alexis Sanchez when we played Stoke, and it’s worth nothing that since the game against Aston Villa on the opening day of last season, which was the worst display I have ever seen from a referee (and I used to be a season ticket holder at an Irish League club and have seen penalties given for people simply kicking the ball and goals awarded for shots that went wide when the referee claimed there was a hole in the net that nobody else could see) Arsenal have only won one game that he’s been in charge of (5-0 v Villa away).

Incompetent beyond belief, this will be Taylor’s fifth game in charge of Arsenal this season if we include the game he was subbed in. That’s in contrast to the single game he was awarded last season (the opener v Villa). On the plus side, it’s his fourth Liverpool game and they’ve won only one of the previous three (v Burnley, losing to Chelsea and drawing with Everton).

30 games, 132 yellows (only Atkinson has issued more and Taylor has been in charge of six fewer games (135)) and eight reds (only Craig Pawson has sent off more (9)), with Taylor in charge, all bets are off.