Daniel Farke and his Leeds United squad will now be focusing on Sunday’s clash against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, and the Premier League has announced Jarred Gillett will be the referee.
Farke will be keen to put Saturday’s lacklustre performance and 3-0 defeat to Brighton behind Leeds as he prepares his side to face a tricky test against Sean Dyche’s Forest. Forest have improved under Dyche.
Dyche enjoyed a 2-0 win over Porto in his first game. A 2-0 defeat to the impressive Bournemouth came next, before a comeback draw against Man United. Forest will see Sunday’s clash as a game they can win.
Leeds, meanwhile, need a result ahead of an incredibly difficult winter period that sees Leeds face Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Man United over the next six weeks. Gillett will be the man in the middle.
Referee Jarred Gillett.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Anton Stach won’t be impressed as Gillett appointed referee
The Premier League has confirmed that Gillett will take charge of his seventh Leeds game on Sunday, with the Aussie having been in the middle for one Leeds game already this season. The 5-0 loss to Arsenal.
Gillett gave a penalty against Stach in just his second Leeds outing, tripping Max Dowman as the teen sensation entered the box. Of course, Leeds had already lost, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring the penalty.
But the decision to award the penalty angered Stach, with replays showing Stach’s foot tickled Dowman’s toe and he went to ground, convincing Gillett to award a spot-kick. It was Arsenal’s fifth of the game.
Stach reacted angrily to the decision, in utter disbelief that Gillett had been fooled by Arsenal wonderkid Dowman. It will not have escaped the German’s mind that the Aussie ref gave a penalty against him.
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Leeds’ record with Jarred Gillett as referee, six matches so far
The 5-0 defeat to Arsenal at The Emirates was Leeds’ sixth game with Gillett in charge, but surprisingly the first Leeds defeat. Leeds had Gillett as referee in the Premier League before, under Marcelo Bielsa.
A thriller that saw Leeds take the lead through Dan James, before Villa went 3-1 up. James made it 3-2 before Diego Llorente equalised, drawing 3-3. Gillett was also in charge during the 2023-24 play-offs.
Date Competition Opposition Venue Result Leeds scorers
22 Feb, 2020 Championship Reading Elland Road 1-0 Leeds P. Hernandez
16 July, 2020 Championship Barnsley Elland Road 1-0 Leeds Own Goal
9 Feb, 2022 Premier League Aston Villa Villa Park 3-3 Draw D. James x2D. Llorente
8 Jan, 2023 FA Cup Cardiff City Cardiff City Stadium 2-2 Draw RodrigoS. Perkins
16 May, 2024 Championship(play-offs) Norwich City Elland Road 4-0 Leeds I. GruevJ. PiroeC. SummervilleG. Rutter
23 Aug, 2025 Premier League Arsenal The Emirates 5-0 Arsenal N/A
He took charge of Leeds’ 4-0 win over Norwich in the semi-finals second leg at Elland Road. Leeds also had Gillett as ref twice during Championship games under Bielsa, and an FA Cup game against Cardiff.
Leeds will be hoping that the defeat to Arsenal was a one-off, and they can maintain their impressive record with Gillett as referee. Nottingham Forest, however, will prove stern competition away from home.