Daniel Farke won’t be pleased at Premier League announcement ahead of Aston Villa vs Leeds
Leeds United could already be on the back foot ahead of their clash with Aston Villa after an announcement made by the Premier League.
The Whites are set to travel down to the Midlands to face off against Unai Emery’s side in their first Villa Park clash since January 2023.
Daniel Farke’s side go into the B6 trip having secured penalty shootout in the second city against Birmingham City last time around.
The Elland Road faithful will be hopeful for another positive result just over three miles down the road from their last away day success.
That hope may have taken a slight knock ahead of Saturday’s kick-off after the Premier League confirmed Michael Oliver as referee against the Villans.
Michael Oliver to referee Aston Villa vs Leeds United
There is general frustration surrounding the state of officiating in the Premier League right now.
That isn’t likely to improve anytime soon, but every game obviously comes with its own challenges surrounding referees.
The statement surrounding who will officiate each game is met with bated breath from every club, with Villa and Leeds now learning that Oliver will manage their game this weekend.
The Premier League have confirmed the 41-year-old will be the man in the middle at Villa Park and will be joined by assistants Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring.
Andrew Kitchen is set to be the fourth official, while Tony Harrington and Blake Antrobus will watch on from Stockley Park for VAR.
It will be interesting to see how this team officiate the clash, but Farke is still bound to be frustrated to have Oliver in as referee.
Why Daniel Farke will be annoyed by Oliver appointment
The Whites hardly have the best record when the 41-year-old is officiating, having failed to win under his watch since 2022.
Leeds have lost against Brighton, Chelsea and Villa in games Oliver’s officiated in the past three years, while also taking charge of the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth earlier this season.
It is that clash that left Farke annoyed at full-time, as a 93rd-minute free-kick that led to Eli Kroupi’s equaliser was deemed to be soft.
Speaking after the Elland Road clash, the German said: “I think it was probably the softest free kick this weekend in the whole Premier League.
“And for me, it’s never fallen on a Premier League level. If we had played on, we would probably have won this game without this goal conceded.
“But we can’t influence the decisions, and now, so this is what we have to accept today. Sometimes the feeling is a bit like they would deserve a bit more luck in some situations.”
Farke will hope for better with Oliver in charge this time around, although a 3-0 defeat against Brighton when he refereed Leeds last is hardly a good omen.
For more build-up ahead of Aston Villa vs Leeds United, head over to Football Insider.