The Premier League officials for matchday 4 have been confirmed ahead of another packed round of fixtures, with Michael Oliver among the officials appointed for the weekend as Manchester United prepare to host Manchester City in one of the biggest games of the early 2026/27 campaign.
The fourth round of fixtures will take place from Saturday, September 12, through Monday, September 14, with nine matches scheduled across the weekend. Alongside the highly anticipated Manchester derby, Chelsea will welcome Hull City to Stamford Bridge, while Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa will also be in action.
Premier League officials for matchday 4 revealed
The Premier League has confirmed the referees, assistants, fourth officials and VAR teams for all nine Matchweek 4 fixtures, providing the officiating line-up for a weekend that contains several intriguing contests.
Aston Villa’s home meeting with Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon will be refereed by Andy Madley, who will be assisted by Constantine Hatzidakis and Richard West. Oliver Langford has been appointed as fourth official, while Tim Wood will operate as VAR with Will Finnie serving as assistant VAR.
At Bournemouth, Jarred Gillett will take charge of the meeting with Brentford, supported by assistants Neil Davies and Nick Greenhalgh. Tom Reeves is the fourth official, while Michael Salisbury will oversee VAR alongside Nick Hopton.
Chelsea’s encounter with Hull City at Stamford Bridge will see Farai Hallam appointed as referee, with Lee Betts and Simon Long as his assistants. Rob Jones will serve as fourth official, while Michael Oliver has been assigned to VAR and Oliver Mackey will act as assistant VAR.
Crystal Palace’s home fixture against Ipswich Town will be officiated by Chris Kavanagh, with Dan Cook and Bhupinder Singh Gill appointed as assistants. Tim Robinson is the fourth official, while Craig Pawson will operate VAR with Adrian Holmes as assistant VAR.
Manchester derby gets experienced officiating team
The biggest fixture of Matchweek 4 will take place at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon when Manchester United host Manchester City in the Manchester derby, and Michael Oliver has been appointed as the referee for the contest.
Oliver will be assisted by Stuart Burt and Tim Wood, while Paul Tierney has been named as fourth official. Matt Donohue will oversee VAR and Blake Antrobus will serve as assistant VAR.
The appointment gives the Manchester derby an experienced officiating team, with the match expected to attract significant attention given the rivalry between the two clubs and the importance of securing points early in the season.
The fixture is scheduled for 16:30 on Sunday, September 13, and will be one of the weekend’s standout matches alongside several other important games involving clubs competing at the top end of the Premier League.
Liverpool and Arsenal also discover their officials
Liverpool’s meeting with Fulham at Anfield will be refereed by Tom Bramall, who will work alongside assistants Gary Beswick and Craig Taylor. David Webb is the fourth official, while Tony Harrington has been appointed as VAR and Stuart Burt as assistant VAR.
Tottenham Hotspur’s home fixture against Everton, scheduled for 17:30 on Saturday, will see Darren England take charge. Scott Ledger and Alex James will assist him, with Gavin Ward serving as fourth official. Paul Tierney is the VAR and Adam Nunn will operate as assistant VAR.
Arsenal’s trip to Sunderland on Saturday evening will be officiated by John Brooks, with James Mainwaring and Wade Smith appointed as assistants. Elliot Bell is the fourth official, while Stuart Attwell will oversee VAR and Edward Smart will serve as assistant VAR.
The appointment means Arsenal’s visit to Sunderland will have a separate VAR team from the Manchester derby, where Matt Donohue will be responsible for the video review process.
Chelsea vs Hull completes Saturday’s schedule
Chelsea vs Hull is another fixture attracting attention during Matchweek 4, particularly with the Blues returning to Premier League action at Stamford Bridge.
Farai Hallam will referee the contest, with Lee Betts and Simon Long assisting him, while Rob Jones will take up the fourth official role. Michael Oliver and Oliver Mackey will form the VAR team.
The match is scheduled for 15:00 on Saturday, September 12, alongside Aston Villa’s meeting with Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth’s clash with Brentford, Crystal Palace’s encounter with Ipswich and Liverpool’s fixture against Fulham.
The weekend will then continue on Sunday with Coventry City hosting Brighton and Hove Albion at 14:00. Tony Harrington will referee that match, assisted by Adrian Holmes and Mat Wilkes, with Oliver Langford as fourth official. Peter Bankes will be VAR and Lee Betts will serve as assistant VAR.
Manchester United’s meeting with Manchester City follows at 16:30 before Leeds United host Newcastle United at 20:00 on Monday, September 14. Michael Salisbury will referee the final match of the round, with Adam Nunn and Nick Hopton as assistants, Tom Nield as fourth official, John Brooks as VAR and James Mainwaring as assistant VAR.
With the officials now confirmed, attention turns to the action itself, as Matchweek 4 promises another important set of fixtures and the Manchester derby prepares to provide the weekend’s biggest stage.
