Anthony Taylor will not referee a Premier League fixture this weekend after issuing the most yellow cards in top-flight history during Chelsea’s clash against Bournemouth last Saturday.
Despite not being put on refereeing duties for any of the 10 matches in matchweek five, Taylor will be the fourth official for Ipswich Town’s trip to Southampton on Saturday and Brighton & Hove Albion’s match against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body overseeing officiating in English football, clarified that no referee officiates every matchweek, as they rotate between refereeing, serving as fourth officials and handling video assistant referee (VAR) duties.
Last Saturday’s match between Bournemouth and Chelsea saw 14 players shown a yellow card at the Vitality Stadium, as well as head coaches Andoni Iraola and Enzo Maresca. Despite the flurry of cautions, no players were sent off. Six Bournemouth players received a yellow card, while eight from Chelsea were also booked.
Taylor was subjected to abuse online following the game with the Premier League now looking into particularly threatening messages and the PGMOL offering their support.
A record number of 65 yellow cards were shown in the Premier League on matchweek four.
On Sunday, Australian referee Jarred Gillett issued seven yellow cards during the first half of the north London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, only booking one player after the break.
Taylor, meanwhile, was promoted to the Select Group panel of referees in 2010, allowing him to referee Premier League matches. The 45-year-old has also officiated major finals including the 2015 League Cup and the FA Cup in 2017 and 2020.
Taylor’s international career took off in 2013 when he became a FIFA-listed referee, enabling him to referee UEFA and FIFA matches, including the Super Cup in 2020 and the Nations League Final in 2021.
(Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
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