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Manchester United will prioritise a midfield overhaul next summer | Getty Images
Manchester United welcome Brighton to Old Trafford this weekend, hoping to make it three wins from three.
United welcome Brighton to Old Trafford in a game which could be one of the matches of the weekend. The Red Devils have lost their last two games against the Seagulls, and so will be hoping to get the better of them this weekend, and more importantly, pick up another three points.
Brighton won 2-1 against Newcastle in their last game, with Danny Welbeck scoring two goals. The 34-year-old will come to Old Trafford hoping to haunt his old team and score his fifth goal of the season.
Anthony Taylor appointed for Man United vs Brighton
Taylor’s assistants for the game will be Gary Bewick and Adam Nunn, both of whom have worked with Taylor on several games in the league this season. The fourth official will be Gavin Ward.
The VAR will be Michael Oliver, who has been a referee in seven Premier League games this season, showing 15 yellow cards and one red. The Assistant VAR will be Stuart Burt, who has been an assistant in eight league games this season.
Why Man United fans won’t be happy with Taylor’s appointment
Amid Taylor getting appointed for the game against Brighton on Saturday, United fans may not be too pleased that the referee will be taking charge of the match, due to previous controversy involving him.
Last season, Man United were beaten 4-3 against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium in May, and Taylor took charge of that game, which involved a major controversy. Matthijs De Ligt was seen to go down with an injury, but instead of stopping the game, Taylor allowed play to continue, and Brentford were able to score from that decision.
United fans were very critical of Taylor after the game, suggesting that they didn’t deserve to lose based on just one unlucky decision. Amid the criticism, Taylor appeared on Sky Sports during the next week. He was quoted by Manchester Evening News: “The main consideration in this situation was, basically, my responsibility under the laws is to decide if De Ligt is seriously injured or not.
“In this situation, because of him [De Ligt] sitting up and asking for treatment, I didn't consider that serious. So that's why we allowed the game to continue and the goal resulted.”
Taylor essentially admitted that he didn’t believe that De Ligt was injured enough for him to stop the game, even though he was asking for treatment. So, it would be no surprise if United fans aren’t happy with the referee on Saturday.
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