The beautiful game’s law enforcers have a difficult job: whether they’re keeping players’ emotions in check or mulling over a painstaking VAR decision, being a Premier League referee is an unenviable task.

And when things don’t go their way, supporters often direct their ire towards the official in the middle. However, whether or not it is justified is another matter.

But are there referees that fans of certain clubs should truly dread the sight of? Which referees are least likely to hand teams the benefit of the doubt, and are there any that could, statistically speaking, provide cause for concern even before a ball is kicked?

We’ve delved into the stats to answer these questions as we identify each Premier League Club‘s ‘worst’ referee.

For this list, we’ve looked at referees’ stats with regard to red cards given, penalties conceded and a team’s win rate under certain officials in the Premier League.

All active referees who took charge of a 2023/24 Premier League match have been considered for this list, while in the interests of fairness, win rates are only considered where a referee has taken control of at least five top-flight games.

And with Ipswich Town not being in the Premier League for over 22 years prior to this season, we have considered matches in the Championship and League One under the same referees.

Of course, there are no conspiracies to be had here; simply handing teams a certain number of cards or penalties is by no means a sign of incompetence or bias – more likely, it’s just a ref doing their job.

But who do the stats, courtesy of Transfermarkt, point to if there is such a thing as a ‘bogey’ referee? Let’s find out…

All stats correct as of Monday 30th September.

Arsenal

Michael Oliver

He may have been at the centre of more recent controversy following the Gunners’ high-tempered draw at Manchester City in the Premier League, but Michael Oliver’s chequered history with the Gunners goes back a fair bit.

In the top flight, Oliver has issued 6 red cards and given 13 penalties against the north Londoners, while Arsenal win just 44% of their matches under him. Considering how much they win nowadays, that’s a pretty alarming statistic.

Of course, as with several refs on this list, Oliver’s stats will naturally look worse as he takes control of Arsenal often – only Liverpool have had more games involving him.

That is also the reason Anthony Taylor can claim a close second, as he’s also given 6 reds and 10 pens – but the Gunners win more often under him.

Aston Villa

Michael Oliver

Michael Oliver’s main crime here is that he’s been around for too long. However, those of an Aston Villa persuasion need look no further for their refereeing nemesis.

Out of the active referees, no one has given more reds to Villa than the Northumberland man, while his tally of six penalties is at least four higher than other ref’s. A woeful 27% win rate under Oliver merely adds insult to injury.

Chris Kavanagh and Paul Tierney are among those who could overtake him in the future, with the former giving three reds and two pens in the space of just 13 games.

Meanwhile, the Villans have won just 2 in 11 under Tierney, having won none of their 9 matches under him prior to last season.

Bournemouth

Craig Pawson

There isn’t really a standout candidate when it comes to Bournemouth’s referee stats, but Craig Pawson has drawn the short straw on this occasion.

Within 16 Cherries games, Pawson has issued a red card and three penalties against them, along with a 31% win rate. One of those penalties helped to deny Gary O’Neil’s side victory at Newcastle in 2022, when Jefferson Lerma was harshly judged (by VAR) to have handled a cross from Kieran Trippier.

Bournemouth have rotten records under the likes of Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor, but Pawson’s charge sheet is grim reading even though he has taken charge of more Cherries games than anyone else.

Brentford

David Coote

With Brentford only in their fourth Premier League season, their history with Premier League referees is very much in its infancy. However, David Coote has certainly been busy in the six games he’s had involving the Bees.

Thomas Frank’s side have won zero with Coote in charge, while the Nottinghamshire official lost control during Brentford’s ill-tempered 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa last season, where he sent off Ben Mee and failed to keep a handle on antics from Emiliano Martinez and Neal Maupay.

It’s not much to go on, but Coote’s next visit to west London won’t be the greatest omen.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Chris Kavanagh

Brighton often perform poorly when Chris Kavanagh is on the same pitch as them. Not only do they only have a 14% win rate with him, but this particular referee has also awarded opponents five spot kicks in just 14 games.

He may have given them a helping hand in recent weeks with his sending-off of Declan Rice against Arsenal, but that was a game that further dented their success rate, with only one win coming since their inaugural Premier League campaign (against Leeds United in May 2021).

Craig Pawson and Anthony Taylor have also awarded Seagulls opponents several penalties between them, while Brighton’s poor win rate with Kavanagh is only marginally worse than their record with Michael Oliver (17%).

Chelsea

Anthony Taylor

It may be fair to say that Anthony Taylor has long been the bane of Chelsea fans. He was in the middle for two of their FA Cup final defeats (with contentious calls and red cards in both), while he recently handed the Blues eight yellows on a bizarre record-breaking night for cautions at Bournemouth.

And the stats have him as the outright outlier when it comes to their record compared to other refs. Taylor has awarded opponents EIGHT penalties in the Premier League – no other current referee has given more than two against Chelsea.

Away from Taylor, another eye-catching stat was their dire record under Jarred Gillett. They have won just once in six matches, while their one defeat came amid a red card for Malo Gusto against Aston Villa last season.

Crystal Palace

Michael Oliver

We think Crystal Palace fans would have every reason to dread the presence of Michael Oliver. Oliver is an experienced ref, so it’s no surprise he has handled more Eagles games than other officials.

That said, he has given Palace’s opponents seven penalties, having given fewer to most of the clubs he has taken charge of more often. Only Watford and Arsenal can claim to have a worse penalties-per-game ratio.

Andy Madley has a similarly blotted copybook in Palace matches, have handed out three reds in their last three matches – including an incredibly harsh second yellow for Jordan Ayew last season against Liverpool when the Eagles had led.

Everton

Craig Pawson

With Everton’s form largely unimpressive in recent years, it is little surprise that the vast majority of referees appear to have it in for them.

However, the worst combination of the statistics we’re interested in has to go to Craig Pawson. While they are winless in nine matches under John Brooks, their next-worst record is with Pawson, who has overseen just 5 Everton wins in 26 games – a shocking 19% win rate.

Pawson has also handed out five reds during that time, including in last season’s Merseyside derby defeat at Anfield in a game where he failed to send off Ibrahima Konate for what would have been a deserved second booking.

Fulham

Graham Scott

Like Everton, Fulham have also been unlucky under Craig Pawson – they have never won in eight games alongside him.

But perhaps a worse fate than having Pawson assigned to a Fulham match would be Graham Scott taking charge. While the Whites have only had seven matches under him, a larger chunk of these have come since their most recent promotion.

Although Fulham finally won under Scott during this time, their record remains poor, while there is often drama. In fact, four of their last five matches with Scott have featured a penalty, a red card, or both – and the odds aren’t usually in the west Londoners’ favour.

Ipswich Town

David Coote

Despite Ipswich finally returning to the top flight this summer, they have not been able to escape the wrath of would-be Premier League referees during their time in the Championship and League One.

Unsurprisingly, there isn’t a huge amount of data to go by, but the Tractor Boys may want to be wary of David Coote, with whom they have been on the winning side just twice in 15 Championship games.

Granted, all bar one of those matches were in the 2017/18 season or earlier, but the trend did continue when they were held to a draw by West Brom in their successful promotion campaign last year.

Leicester City

Craig Pawson

One potential silver lining of Leicester City’s relegation in 2022/23 may have been the absence of Craig Pawson from Championship Football.

Their time in the Premier League up until their relegation really was a rollercoaster – and this is also why their record under the South Yorkshire ref stands out.

They are on a run of losing each of their last six clashes involving Pawson – ironically after winning the previous six. Maybe it’s a sign that things are due to turn around, but that’s as rotten a record as you can get.

Liverpool

Andy Madley

We all know that Jurgen Klopp had it in for Paul Tierney (see below), and that’s understandable – he’s been the centre of several controversies involving Liverpool over the years.

But the Reds’ record with Tierney is generally positive; they have won their last six overseen by him, while the last red card he gave to a Liverpool player – Darwin Nunez against Crystal Palace in August 2022 – was wholly justified.

So we felt a more appropriate ‘bogey ref’ would be Andy Madley. He’s only taken charge of ten Liverpool matches, of which the Reds have won six. While their only defeat under Madley was their 2-0 loss to Everton last term, this ref has turned up in some agonising games, including draws away at newly promoted sides Luton and Fulham.

And even when Liverpool win, he manages to make a scene, having been at the centre of a number of iffy decisions during their last-gasp victory against Crystal Palace last season in a match that left both sides disgruntled with his officiating. He’s hardly a positive omen.

Manchester City

Anthony Taylor

Looking at the numbers, it would be easy to say Michael Oliver is the prime candidate for Manchester City’s least-wanted referee. However, despite awarding eight penalties against them, he has never given a Citizen a red card, which is remarkable given his longevity in the game.

The only referee who can truly rival that is Anthony Taylor. Although he’s another of the more experienced officials, no one has given more reds to City players than him, while six penalties have gone against them under his watch.

City’s win record with Taylor also stands at a ‘lowly’ 57% – comfortably the lowest for this juggernaut of a team. Their recent failures under him include draws against Arsenal and Chelsea that could have cost them the title last season, as well as both defeats to Spurs in the 2021/22 campaign.

Manchester United

Jarred Gillett

It may feel like everything is against Manchester United right now, with results and refereeing decisions benefiting opponents in the wake of a third game without a win and an overturned red card for Bruno Fernandes at the weekend.

And while Chris Kavanagh won’t have gained any fans at Old Trafford with his decision-making, the stats suggest Jarred Gillett ought to be a more feared referee.

The Australian has only officiated five Red Devils clashes to date, yet United have only come out on top on two occasions, while three penalties have been awarded against them – including two in their chastening 4-3 defeat to Chelsea last term.

Newcastle United

Craig Pawson

Looking at the stats, you’d be forgiven for thinking Craig Pawson had a personal vendetta against the Toon. While that is likely to be far from the truth, the Yorkshireman has handed Newcastle United five red cards and issued five penalties against them.

The Magpies are Pawson’s most commonly assigned team, but not by much, and a relatively paltry win rate of 34% under him only sours things further.

Across the active Premier League referees, only Paul Tierney matches Pawson in terms of awarding penalties, though he has never sent a Newcastle player off. Eddie Howe’s men better be on their best behaviour whenever Pawson’s next in town.

Nottingham Forest

Robert Jones

With Nottingham Forest’s modern Premier League history rather limited, their run-ins with the current crop of refs are more spread out (referees weren’t even professional when they were last relegated from the top flight).

Therefore, it may be slightly disingenuous to hand one referee the mantle of being Forest’s main nemesis, but Robert Jones has overseen more drama than most when he takes control of their games.

Jones was recently at the centre of controversy when he handled the Tricky Trees’ recent draw at Brighton, which saw Morgan Gibbs-White harshly sent off in an ill-tempered clash.

Simon Hooper also deserves an honourable mention, as he has yet to oversee a Forest victory in any of the Reds’ seven attempts.

Southampton

Graham Scott

Southampton’s last few Premier League campaigns have been dominated by relegation battles, so a lot of their statistics make for grim reading.

While the likes of Anthony Taylor and Simon Hooper are by no means the Saints’ lucky charm, Graham Scott arguably edges it by having the worst record of the lot.

In 15 matches under Scott since 2016/17, Southampton have won just twice, and not tasted victory alongside Scott for nearly six years – a run of nine winless games (1D 8L).

Tottenham Hotspur

Paul Tierney

Paul Tierney has been a Premier League referee since 2014, but his Tottenham Hotspur record is littered with some agonising Spurs matches.

They include each of the Lilywhites’ last two trips to Anfield, which both ended in ugly defeats. There’s also been plenty of London derbies where Spurs have come unstuck, while they previously went through a period of 12 matches without victory under him.

Robert Jones’ Spurs record isn’t much prettier, and he gave Arsenal a contentious penalty at the Emirates Stadium last season – while Spurs are winless with him in their last six.

West Ham United

David Coote

Given that David Coote has only taken charge of 12 West Ham United matches, it’s quite remarkable he stands out as being a particularly bad omen for them.

But with one red and four penalties conceded in his games (not to mention winning just 2 of those 12), it’s difficult to say it’s anyone else for the Hammers.

Their 16% win rate under Coote is comfortably the worst of any referee to take charge of at least five West Ham matches – Andy Madley is next on a comparatively respectable 29%.

Wolves

Andy Madley

Only three clubs have had Andy Madley in charge in the Premier League more often than Wolves, and at this point, the Old Gold will be begging the PGMOL and Madley to leave them alone.

Three of Wolves’ last five matches involving Madley have seen either a red or penalty kick, while their last meeting – a 4-1 win over Brentford in December – remains an outlier in terms of results under this official (just a second win in 11 games).

Anthony Taylor will understandably be fresh in the memory of fans given his recent match-defining (and correct) penalty call against Liverpool, and no one has given Wolves more reds or penalties than him, so he’s another for Gary O’Neil’s side to be wary of.