One of the Premier League's most respected referees will take charge of Arsenal vs Manchester United as the Gunners look to restore their seven-point lead
Mark Whiley Sports Reporter
10:17, 25 Jan 2026
Referee Craig Pawson
View 3 Images
Craig Pawson will be the man in the middle for Arsenal vs Manchester United(Image: Getty Images)
The referee for Arsenal's Premier League showdown against Manchester United is prohibited from overseeing fixtures involving two clubs.
Seasoned official Craig Pawson has been assigned to keep control when the historic rivals meet at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The 46-year-old has been presiding over Premier League encounters since 2013.
He has also taken charge of a Championship play-off final and an FA Cup semi-final, alongside fixtures in the Champions League and Europa League. However, there's absolutely no possibility he will ever take charge of matches involving his beloved Sheffield United.
Match officials must declare which side they support and any potential conflicts of interest to the PGMOL. Referees aren't allocated to fixtures involving the team they follow or nearby local adversaries, meaning Sheffield-born Pawson would never oversee a match featuring Sheffield Wednesday either.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
The Blades' most recent Premier League season was 2023/24 when they suffered relegation with merely 16 points. They currently sit 17th in the Championship.
Meanwhile, troubled Wednesday are facing a drop to League One after being struck with multiple points deductions amid their financial troubles. From the 2024/25 campaign onward, the PGMOL enhanced transparency regarding declared loyalties following grievances about potential conflicts of interest.
Referee Craig Pawson
View 3 Images
Pawson is a big Sheffield United fan(Image: Getty Images)
These regulations encompass the main officials, assistant referees and VARs. The referees' declarations incorporate any allegiances held by close family members, especially those residing in the same household.
Pawson has overseen 15 matches this term: 12 in the Premier League, two in the Carabao Cup and one in the Championship. He has brandished 36 yellow cards - averaging 2.4 per fixture - and just two reds.
His most recent Arsenal encounter as the man in the middle was the controversial 2-2 draw at Sunderland in November. His preceding United match as referee was their 3-1 reverse at Brentford in September.
Arsenal were hard done by against Sunderland after Craig Pawson arguably made two mistakes which proved costly for the Gunners
View 3 Images
Arsenal weren't happy with Pawson's decisions against Sunderland(Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
He was on VAR duty for their derby triumph over Manchester City last weekend, when he controversially supported referee Anthony Taylor's decision to only caution Diogo Dalot for a high challenge on Jeremy Doku.
Meanwhile, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is poised to be strengthened by the returns of both Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie after injury. Calafiori has been sidelined for the previous eight games, while Hincapie has not appeared since featuring in the goalless draw with Liverpool on January 8.
For United, Matthijs de Ligt remains unavailable through injury but Noussair Mazraoui has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, while youngster Shea Lacey is available again following suspension.
Article continues below
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
£49
£35
Sky
Get Sky Sports here
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.