The Premier League match officials for matchweek 3 of the 2026/27 Premier League season have now been confirmed, with Chris Kavanagh appointed to take charge of the weekend’s headline fixture between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.
The third round of fixtures comes with plenty of early-season intrigue, from Liverpool’s trip to Ipswich Town to Manchester United’s meeting with Everton and Tottenham Hotspur’s visit to Nottingham Forest. With several clubs still finding their rhythm after the opening weeks of the campaign, the appointed referees, assistants and VAR teams will have an important role to play as another weekend of Premier League action unfolds.
Here are the confirmed Match officials for matchweek 3, including the referees, assistant referees, fourth officials, VAR officials and assistant VARs for all 10 fixtures.
Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3
The Premier League has appointed a mixture of experienced officials and established VAR specialists for the third round of fixtures, with Chris Kavanagh receiving the weekend’s biggest assignment at the Emirates. The full list of Premier League referees and their assistants is as follows.
Ipswich Town vs Liverpool
Liverpool begin the weekend with a trip to Ipswich Town on Friday evening, with Darren England appointed as the referee for the opening fixture.
Date: Friday, 4 September 2026 | Time: 8:00pm (UK)
Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3:
Referee: Darren England
Assistants: Richard West, Adrian Holmes
Fourth Official: Lewis Smith
VAR: Nick Hopton
Assistant VAR: Gary Beswick
Newcastle United vs Bournemouth
Newcastle United host Bournemouth in Saturday’s early kickoff, with Rob Jones taking charge at St James’ Park.
Date: Saturday, 5 September 2026 | Time: 12:30pm (UK)
Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3:
Referee: Rob Jones
Assistants: Nick Greenhalgh, Alistair Nelson
Fourth Official: Ruebyn Ricardo
VAR: Matt Donohue
Assistant VAR: Ian Hussin
Brentford vs Sunderland
Brentford welcome Sunderland in the first of Saturday’s 3pm fixtures, with Tom Bramall appointed referee.
Date: Saturday, 5 September 2026 | Time: 3:00pm (UK)
Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3:
Referee: Tom Bramall
Assistants: Gary Beswick, Craig Taylor
Fourth Official: Lewis Smith
VAR: Tim Wood
Assistant VAR: Blake Antrobus
Brighton vs Leeds United
Brighton and Hove Albion face Leeds United at the Amex, where Stuart Attwell will oversee proceedings.
Date: Saturday, 5 September 2026 | Time: 3:00pm (UK)
Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3:
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Nick Hopton
Fourth Official: John Busby
VAR: James Bell
Assistant VAR: Edward Smart
Fulham vs Crystal Palace
The London meeting between Fulham and Crystal Palace will be refereed by Sam Barrott, with John Brooks serving as the VAR.
Date: Saturday, 5 September 2026 | Time: 3:00pm (UK)
Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3:
Referee: Sam Barrott
Assistants: Adam Nunn, Wade Smith
Fourth Official: Tom Reeves
VAR: John Brooks
Assistant VAR: Oliver Mackey
Manchester City vs Coventry City
Manchester City host Coventry City in a fixture that sees Paul Tierney appointed as referee. Maresca’s side will be looking to make it three wins out of three when they face newly promoted Coventry on Saturday. Coventry are also still to get a single point this season.
Date: Saturday, 5 September 2026 | Time: 3:00pm (UK)
Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3:
Referee: Paul Tierney
Assistants: Scott Ledger, Andrew Dallison
Fourth Official: Tim Robinson
VAR: Neil Davies
Assistant VAR: Steve Meredith
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur travel to Nottingham Forest for a potentially important fixture, with Craig Pawson selected to officiate.
Date: Saturday, 5 September 2026 | Time: 3:00pm (UK)
Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3:
Referee: Craig Pawson
Assistants: Lee Betts, Mat Wilkes
Fourth Official: David Webb
VAR: Peter Bankes
Assistant VAR: Alex Chilowicz
Hull City vs Aston Villa
Aston Villa’s trip to Hull City will be handled by one of the league’s most recognizable officials, Michael Oliver. Following a very busy transfer window for both sides and deadline day for Hull City, the newly-promoted side will be looking to continue their brilliant start and make it three wins out of three.
Date: Saturday, 5 September 2026 | Time: 5:30pm (UK)
Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3:
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistants: Stuart Burt, James Mainwaring
Fourth Official: Tom Nield
VAR: Tony Harrington
Assistant VAR: Paul Howard
Everton vs Manchester United
Manchester United’s visit to Everton on Sunday afternoon will see John Brooks take charge, with Paul Howard appointed as VAR.
Date: Sunday, 6 September 2026 | Time: 2:00pm (UK)
Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3:
Referee: John Brooks
Assistants: Simon Long, Blake Antrobus
Fourth Official: Sam Barrott
VAR: Paul Howard
Assistant VAR: Craig Taylor
Arsenal vs Chelsea
The standout fixture of Matchweek 3 sees Arsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium, with Chris Kavanagh appointed as the referee.
The London heavyweight encounter will attract considerable attention after both clubs’ contrasting starts to the 2026/27 campaign, while Kavanagh and his VAR team will be responsible for overseeing one of the most closely watched matches of the weekend.
Date: Sunday, 6 September 2026 | Time: 4:30pm (UK)
Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3:
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Assistants: Dan Cook, Tim Wood
Fourth Official: Tom Bramall
VAR: Darren England
Assistant VAR: Constantine Hatzidakis
What to Expect from the Premier League Match Officials for Matchweek 3
With 10 fixtures scheduled across Matchweek 3, the Match officials for matchweek 3 will face another demanding round of Premier League action, particularly with several matches involving clubs expected to compete near the top of the table. The presence of experienced officials such as Kavanagh, Oliver, Pawson and England ensures that the weekend will have plenty of familiar faces in charge, while the VAR teams will be equally important in reviewing decisive incidents.
For supporters, the focus will naturally remain on the football, but the decisions made by these officials could prove significant as the 2026/27 season begins to take shape. From the Friday night meeting between Ipswich and Liverpool to Sunday’s Arsenal-Chelsea blockbuster, another weekend of Premier League drama awaits.
