Next up for Leeds United is a difficult-looking trip to Brighton on Saturday at The Amex, and Michael Oliver has been picked to officiate the Premier League clash.
The feel-good factor has been restored at Leeds after a third win of the season last time out, dispatching West Ham at Elland Road with a 2-1 victory. Joe Rodon and Brenden Aaronson got the goals for Leeds.
For Brighton, things have been tough over the last few weeks. The Seagulls are winless in their last three league games, and Fabian Hurzeler could be missing as many as six players when Leeds come to town.
Brighton were well beaten by an improving Man United at Old Trafford on Saturday. But this is a Brighton side that boasts plenty of quality, including an in-form Danny Welbeck and Leeds hero Georginio Rutter.
Michael Oliver during a Premier League match.
Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images
What Daniel Farke said about Michael Oliver earlier this season
Michael Oliver was the man in the middle during Leeds’ 2-2 draw against Bournemouth at Elland Road. A game Leeds should have won, conceding from a free-kick in the 93rd minute to the despair of supporters.
Speaking after the game, Farke criticised Oliver for giving Bournemouth a free-kick that led to their first goal. Anton Stach was adjudged to have jumped into a Cherries player, and Antoine Semenyo scored.
Farke said, at the time: “Never a free-kick, much too soft, first time this has ever been given as a free-kick at Premier League level. You could argue it was giving the referee a decision, but it was never a foul.”
MORE LEEDS UNITED STORIES
Mark Clattenburg disagreed with Farke’s verdict on the foul, but it is perhaps a bit of a surprise to see Oliver already officiating another Leeds game, given the criticism dished out by Farke to reporters.
Sean Longstaff joked he’d chin Michael Oliver after Bournemouth
Farke is not the only Leeds man to comment on Oliver this season. Having played 171 Premier League games before arriving at Leeds, Sean Longstaff never had Oliver as a referee. He is a Newcastle supporter.
It meant that Oliver was never allowed to ref Newcastle. But now at Leeds, Longstaff had Oliver for the first time in the Bournemouth match, a game in which Longstaff both scored his first goal, and assisted.
Sean Longstaff takes a corner during Leeds United v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Longstaff slammed an effort into the top corner, but the goal was checked by VAR because of a Leeds player standing in front of the goalkeeper. Eventually, the goal was cleared by VAR and was awarded.
Longstaff jokingly told Oliver that he would “chin him” if the goal was ruled out: “I said ‘if you disallow this goal after I’ve done a knee slide, ‘I’m gonna chin you!’ Obviously, he’s a Newcastle fan.”
Oliver will now take charge of his second Leeds game this season, and the 17th of his career. Leeds have managed just five wins during his 17 matches with the whistle, losing on another eight occasions.