Overview
- Kavanagh has been appointed to referee Manchester United vs Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday and Arsenal’s trip to Brighton next Wednesday.
- PGMOL stood down Kavanagh and assistant Nick Greenhalgh for one round after Aston Villa vs Newcastle featured a wrongly allowed offside goal, no red card for Lucas Digne, and a handball in the box given as a free-kick.
- Greenhalgh will run the line in the Championship for Bristol City vs Watford at Ashton Gate on Friday before a planned return to Premier League assistant duties for Everton vs Burnley next Tuesday.
- The FA Cup’s third and fourth rounds do not use VAR, a format choice that has reignited scrutiny of officials’ decision-making without video support.
- Managers Eddie Howe and Unai Emery criticized the officiating, with Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney calling key decisions from Villa Park unacceptable.