Premier League referees are facing heavy criticism due to their subpar officiating in recent seasons. In a recent incident, Anthony Taylor, a prominent Premier League official, was demoted to the Championship following a controversial decision during the Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 2-2 draw with Newcastle United on October 28, 2023. Taylor’s contentious call awarded a penalty to Newcastle after Wolves’ forward player, Hwang Hee-chan, was judged to have fouled Fabian Schar while attempting to clear the ball from his box.
Despite the absence of a formal apology from the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) to Wolves regarding the penalty decision, Anthony Taylor will not be officiating Premier League games this weekend. Instead, he is set to take charge of a Championship fixture between Preston and Coventry on Saturday, marking his first time officiating in the second tier since 2019.