Darren England, who is the referee, for Liverpool's trip to Old Trafford at the weekend, has previously angered Arne Slot and was also involved in the VAR shambles vs Spurs
17:26, 28 Apr 2026
Liverpool's Dutch manager Arne Slot gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on March 21, 2026
Arne Slot was left visibly angry on the touchline after Brighton escaped a potential red card(Image: Getty Images)
The match officials for the game between Liverpool and Manchester United have been revealed, with the referee having previously been involved with controversy surrounding the Reds.
Darren England will take charge as referee, supported by assistants Tim Wood and Akil Howson. Anthony Taylor has been named as fourth official, while Stuart Attwell will oversee VAR duties alongside assistant VAR Constantine Hatzidakis.
Almost two months ago, Arne Slot was left furious during Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton after a controversial first-half incident involving Yankuba Minteh. Already on a booking, Minteh went to ground under pressure as he chased a through ball ahead of Jeremie Frimpong, appealing for a penalty. Meanwhile, a former Liverpool player 'comes out of retirement' for an unlikely team who conceded 81 goals.
READ MORE: Jose Mourinho verdict on Trent Alexander-Arnold resurfaces amid Real Madrid rumorsREAD MORE: Why Newcastle is considering Anthony Gordon transfer exit as Liverpool stance emerges
England waved away the claims but also chose not to caution the winger for simulation, prompting an angry reaction from Slot, who was seen gesturing a diving motion on the touchline.
Steven Gerrard believed that Minteh should have been shown a second yellow card. When asked during the half-time break on TNT Sports if Minteh should have been dismissed, Gerrard responded: "Well I think he's extremely lucky. It has been a great battle down that side - they've both got blistering pace. The ball gets played in behind here, there's no contact and he just goes over.
"It is a dive in my opinion and he gets away with one here. He's very very lucky. I'll be surprised if the manager keeps him on much longer actually with [Kaoru] Mitoma on the bench, so keep an eye out for that as well."
Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch then added: "I agree with Arne Slot there. It was obvious that he was looking for the penalty and he quite easily could have gone there."
Referee Darren England wearing a 'ref cam' camera during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium on September 13, 2025 in London, England
Darren England will be the lead referee during Liverpool's matchup with United(Image: Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
It wasn't the first time England has been at the center of a controversial decision involving the Reds. England was the video assistant referee who failed to intervene after Luis Diaz's goal was incorrectly ruled offside during Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Spurs in 2023.
Article continues below
In the audio released by PGMOL at the time, England can be heard initially describing the VAR check as “perfect” before reacting with frustration upon realising an error had been made.
Following the publication, PGMOL attributed the mistake to a “lapse of concentration and loss of focus.” Meanwhile, the Premier League acknowledged that the incident—and the subsequent review—had exposed “systemic weaknesses” within the VAR process. England along with his assistant VAR for that game Dan Cook were left out of the following weekend of fixtures.
The assistant VAR for Sunday has also had his fair share of trouble with Liverpool. That same year, Hatzidakis was involved in a controversial incident with Andy Robertson during half-time of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in April 2023, which saw the official appear to make contact with the defender’s jaw. He avoided formal punishment, receiving only a temporary removal from duties by PGMOL and didn't officiate a Liverpool game for almost two years.