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Football London
Football London
Sport
David Byrom

Referees announced for Arsenal's Premier League return - and it's bad news for Mikel Arteta

Arsenal have discovered who will referee their first Premier League games back.

Eyebrows may well be raised by who is set to take charge of the Gunners' first game back, with Manchester-born Anthony Taylor set to referee the away trip to Manchester City on Wednesday night.

That is followed up by a familiar face in Saturday's trip to Brighton & Hove Albion, with Martin Atkinson set to referee.

Taylor has so far taken charge of 36 games this season, showing 162 yellow cards and seven red cards in those games.

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He has refereed three Arsenal games this season - a 3-1 loss at Liverpool in August, the 2-2 draw with Watford in September and January's FA Cup win over Leeds United.

Taylor has also refereed two Man City games this season, including a Manchester derby.

He also sent off Lucas Torreira in March 2019 following a late tackle in the North London derby draw with Spurs.

Atkinson will be a familiar face to all Gunners fans, having taken charge of six Arsenal games this season already.

Such was Atkinson's run of refereeing Arsenal games that, in October, it was revealed he had taken charge of 40 per cent of the Gunners' Premier League matches at that point.

Indeed, 50 per cent of Atkinson's Premier League games to November involved Arsenal.

Overall, he has shown a relatively low 79 yellow cards from 28 games this season, with three reds.

Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn will run the line at the Etihad, with Stuart Burt and Peter Kirkup doing the same for the game against Brighton

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