Craig Pawson, the referee appointed for Sunday's Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates, is prohibited from officiating matches involving two clubs due to his declared allegiance to Sheffield United. The 46-year-old, a lifelong fan of the Blades, cannot referee games for his supported team or their local rivals, Sheffield Wednesday, under Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) rules.
Pawson, who has been a Premier League official since 2013, must declare any conflicts of interest to the PGMOL. These regulations, enhanced for the 2024/25 season to improve transparency, also cover assistant referees and VARs, including allegiances held by immediate family members living in the same household. This ensures officials are not assigned to fixtures where bias could be perceived.
This season, Pawson has officiated 15 matches across competitions, issuing 36 yellow cards and two reds. He was on VAR duty for the recent Manchester derby, where Manchester United had three goals disallowed in their 2-0 win. His last match as referee for United was a 3-1 loss to Brentford in September, while his most recent Arsenal fixture was a 2-2 draw at Sunderland in November.
Meanwhile, both teams face injury concerns. Manchester United's Matthijs de Ligt remains sidelined, while Noussair Mazraoui returns from international duty. Arsenal are set to welcome back Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie from injury. The match promises to be a tightly contested affair under Pawson's watch.
