Liverpool are set to face Bournemouth at Anfield this Saturday, following their midweek Champions League opener against AC Milan.
The 3pm Premier League kickoff will be an opportunity for the Reds to bounce back after last week’s disappointing 1-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest, which marked Arne Slot’s first defeat as manager.
Ahead of the match, the Premier League has announced the referee appointments, with Tony Harrington taking charge of proceedings. He will be supported by assistants Marc Perry and Derek Eaton, while Bobby Madley will serve as the fourth official. In the VAR booth, Graham Scott will be overseeing decisions, assisted by Sian Massey-Ellis.
For Harrington, this will only be his third time officiating a Liverpool game since joining the PGMOL’s Select Group 1 in 2021. His previous two appearances came in the Carabao Cup, where Liverpool secured a 7-2 victory over Lincoln City in 2020/21 and a penalty shootout win over Derby County following a 0-0 draw in the 2022/23 season.
While Harrington’s relative lack of experience in high-profile matches may not be a significant concern, his record with VAR is. According to ESPN, no referee had more VAR decisions overturned than Harrington in the 2023/24 season. He was overruled five times in just 10 matches, and only two referees—Michael Salisbury and Stuart Attwell—had a higher rate of subjective errors per game.
Harrington has refereed two Premier League matches this season: Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over West Ham on the opening weekend and a 2-2 draw between Crystal Palace and Leicester City. The latter match saw controversy when VAR Andy Madley overturned an offside call for Palace’s opening goal, prompting Leicester to seek clarification. However, the issue was related to VAR and not Harrington’s performance on the pitch.
As Liverpool aim to get back on track this weekend, they will hope for a smooth, fair contest with minimal influence from the officials.
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