LIVERPOOL and Arsenal fans might BOTH reckon Paul Tierney is the worst possible choice as referee for Sunday’s huge Premier League clash.
Many Gunners’ fans blame Tierney for controversial decisions as they have lost all their last FIVE games when he has been in charge.
Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka lead protests with referee Paul Tierney during Arsenal’s 3-1 loss at Old Trafford in September
And after a heated match against Tottenham, Sky Sports cameras appeared to catch Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp saying: “I have no problems with any referees. Only you.”
Tierney heads for Anfield this weekend with the Reds eighth following Tuesday’s 0-0 draw at Chelsea and Arsenal eight points clear at the top from Manchester City, who visit Southampton on Saturday.
And Gunners’ supporters seem especially twitchy.
One posted: “Lads, it actually over” and another added: “Here we go.”
A third wrote: “Not one for speaking out about or against refs, but if this is true surely it’s worrying?”
And a fourth gloomily summed up recent history.
He tweeted: “Arsenal’s record in the last five games he has refereed: 0 wins, 0 draws, 5 losses. Sent off Holding and penalised Cedric in last season’s NLD, also disallowed Martinelli’s goal vs United this season.”
The Gunners’ first defeat this term, 3-1 at Manchester United in September, came after perhaps the most hotly-debated of Tierney’s decisions.
An early Gabriel Martinelli goal was ruled out for Martin Odegaard impeding Christian Eriksen in the build-up – after VAR asked the ref in the middle to look again.
But Odegaard protested during and following the game.
He said: “In my opinion it is never a foul. I think the referee sees it and he says play on. It’s a soft challenge and for VAR to come in it has to be clear and obvious.
“For me it is very, very soft. You can always make it look worse on camera. But it’s never a foul and the referee said play on so it is frustrating.”
Klopp’s problem with Tierney dates back to a fierce 2-2 draw at Spurs in December 2021.
Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson saw red for a dodgy challenge on Emerson Royal but Tottenham hero Harry Kane stayed on after a similar tackle.
Asked by Sky if the England skipper should have been sent off, Klopp said: “Yes, definitely.
“We can give Robbo a red card, it’s not the smartest challenge of his life, that’s how it is. But that’s [Kane on Robertson] definitely a red card, no doubt about that.”
