NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND: Match Referee Tony Harrington reacts during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Sunderland at City Ground o...
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND: Match Referee Tony Harrington reacts during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Sunderland at City Ground on September 27, 2025. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
The referee for Arsenal’s match against Everton on Saturday afternoon is set to take charge of a match involving the Gunners for just the fourth time in his career.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: Referee Tony Harrington gestures during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford on November 24, 2025. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: Referee Tony Harrington gestures during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford on November 24, 2025. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
The Premier League have confirmed their match official appointments for the current round of fixtures, including Arsenal’s match against Everton on Saturday afternoon.
Tony Harrington will referee the match, assisted by Adrian Holmes and Lee Betts, with Ruebyn Ricardo as the fourth official.
Then Stuart Attwell will be on VAR, with Tom Nield acting as the assistant VAR for the fixture.
Referee Tony Harrington during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Leeds United and Brentford at Elland Road on August 30, 2026 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Referee Tony Harrington during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Leeds United and Brentford at Elland Road on August 30, 2026 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
For a referee in his forties, Harrington has been the on-field official for relatively few Arsenal matches. This will be just his fourth, though it’s worth mentioning that all three of the previous games were in the last two seasons. By contrast, he’s refereed Everton 12 times.
Harrington refereed Arsenal’s 3-1 Premier League win over Southampton in 2024/25, the 2-0 Premier League win over Brentford in 2025/26, and the 4-1 FA Cup win away to Portsmouth in 2025/26.
The only major decision Harrington had to make in those matches was to award Arsenal a penalty against Portsmouth, which the Gunners went on to miss anyway.
portsmouth v arsenal emirates fa cup third round 4
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Harrington did also have to get involved in a decision when he was on VAR during a previous Arsenal-Everton match, intervening to overturn an offside against Gabriel Martinelli and give a goal back in 2023.
That was before the introduction of semi-automated offsides, so Arsenal fans can be grateful he got that one right. But it was a matter of fact in the end.
On Saturday afternoon, Arsenal will hope to keep their 100% record going with Harrington as a match official.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 01: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's second goal following the VAR check during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC at Emirates Stadium on March 01, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 01: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's second goal following the VAR check during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC at Emirates Stadium on March 01, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Arsenal-Everton ref will be on just his 4th Gunners matchThe referee for Arsenal’s match against Everton on Saturday afternoon is set to take charge of a match involving the Gunners for just the fourth time in his career.
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