Arsenal will face Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon with Mike Dean in charge, Lee Mason as the fourth official and Martin Atkinson running the VAR.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Referee Paul Tierney shows a red card to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal FC at Selhurst Park on January 11, 2020, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: Referee Paul Tierney shows a red card to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal FC at Selhurst Park on January 11, 2020, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

All that’s missing from this lineup is Anthony Taylor and we’d have a full house.

Thankfully, sitting beside Martin Atkinson as he watches replays 500 times to find justification for the stupid call Mike Dean just made, will be Sian Massey-Ellis who seems to be one of the few people in the refereeing world who has her eyes wired correctly to her brain.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 27: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal reacts to a decision by referee Martin Atkinson during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 27: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal reacts to a decision by referee Martin Atkinson during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)

For the Chelsea game midweek, we will see Stuart Atwell take charge with David Coote as the fourth official. The real fun in that game will come from Paul Tierney on VAR.

Tierney, you’ll remember, was in charge of our game last weekend against Crystal Palace where he left Palace kick all round them while booking Arsenal players the first chance he got.

He also booked Alexandre Lacazette for persistent fouling after three but let Jordan Ayew make seven without taking his name.

Same old Arsenal, always cheated

Pre-match facts and stats

  • Arsenal’s first Premier League (PL) victory under Mikel Arteta’s management marked only their second home league win this term to come with a cleansheet. Yet, the ‘Gunners’ are consistent in such occurrences, with each of their last six cleansheet PL home wins coming after a won first half.
  • Delving further into that group of wins, five of Arsenal’s last six cleansheet home league wins have seen them score inside the first 15 minutes of play. This is something Arsenal have additionally managed in their last three league outings (home/away).
    Sheffield United remain unbeaten at the stadia of teams that finished outside the ‘top two’ of 2018/19 so far this league campaign. Overall, their current loss rate stands at a very respectable 20% across PL away games entered as a betting outsider this season.
  • Having drawn 60% of their ten away league games entered as outsiders this term, Chris Wilder’s men will be as difficult as ever to breach. Of the five stalemates within that group to see both teams score, four saw the ‘Blades’ score last and do so beyond the hour mark.
    Players to watch: Alexandre Lacazette has scored inside the first or final 15 minutes in 50% of Arsenal’s last six PL home wins to-nil.
  • ‘Blades’ striker Lys Mousset scored the winner in the reverse fixture and also got a goal on his last PL visit to the Emirates Stadium – both strikes arrived precisely in the 30th minute!
    Stat attack: Arsenal have won with both teams scoring in their last three home league games vs newly-promoted opposition.
  • The ‘Gunners’ have outscored opponents in the second half by an average 3:1 ratio across their last four home league games vs PL newcomers.
    Sheffield United’s last three away league games against PL ‘ever-presents’ have produced exactly two match goals either way.

TV Channels showing the game

The game will not be shown live in the UK as it is a Saturday 3pm kick-off but it will be on the following channels globally:

COSMOTE Sport, PREMIER Sport (CZE), TRT Spor, TV2 Sport (Nor), TV2 Sport Premium, Viaplay (Fin), Viaplay (Swe), Viasat Sport Premium (Fin), Viasat Sport Premium (Swe)