Premier League confirms Arsenal vs Liverpool referee who was just slammed by Alan Shearer

Anthony Taylor is set to take center stage for a crucial Premier League showdown as Arsenal welcomes Liverpool this Sunday. He was the man in the middle when the two sides met at the Emirates Stadium back in February too.

Sitting pretty at the summit with 21 points, Liverpool will be keen to maintain its lead, while Arsenal, on 17 points and in third place, will be sure to put up a fierce fight. Taylor has been confirmed as referee amid ongoing debates about refereeing standards following a weekend that saw plenty of contentious officiating.

Taylor himself was under the spotlight after Alan Shearer slammed his call not to give Southampton a spot-kick during their 3-2 loss to Leicester, branding it a "really poor decision". Meanwhile, Chris Kavanagh faced the heat for sanctioning Manchester City's disputed decider against Wolves, though the right outcome was awarded in the end.

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Manchester City emerged victorious 2-1 against Wolves after John Stones netted a dramatic goal initially disallowed for offside against Bernardo Silva, which interfered with Wolves' goalie Jose Sa. But a VAR consultation led by Stuart Atwell prompted Kavanagh to reverse his initial verdict and validate the strike.

It's a call that left Wolves' manager Gary O'Neil fuming, especially recalling a similar instance where his team's goal was chalked off six months prior. O'Neil hinted at a possible unconscious preference referees have for top-tier clubs, asserting: "There's no chance people are purposely against Wolves. If we ever get to that, then the game's in a bad place.

"But is there something in the subconscious around decision-making? Without even knowing it, are you more likely to give it to Manchester City than Wolves? Referees are human, and Manchester City scoring a last-minute winner is a big thing, so maybe there's something subconsciously that you're less likely to get those decisions.

"I can tell you categorically that referees are 100 per cent honest and they are doing the best they can. I just know that from a human point of view, I feel different playing Manchester City than I do when we play someone in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

"I'm sure the officials feel the same. They feel it. They're human. Now, I might be miles off. But if I had to upset someone in the street and there's a big guy and a little guy, I'm upsetting the little one."

Kavanagh has not been appointed to a game in the upcoming round of fixtures and will instead serve as the fourth official for Aston Villa's match against Bournemouth on Saturday and as VAR for Crystal Palace's clash with Tottenham on Sunday. Referees are rotated, however, and there is no suggestion that he has been demoted.

Liverpool.com says: It was always likely to be either Taylor or Michael Oliver for this game, which is the biggest Liverpool has faced so far this season. The hope for both teams (and Taylor himself) is that the referee isn't the main talking point post-match.