Anthony Taylor will return to the Premier League this weekend following his ‘demotion’ to the Championship in the previous matchweek.
The referee was caught in a slew of controversy after awarding Newcastle a contentious penalty against Wolves during their 2-2 draw.
Taylor came under fire from a variety of sources after awarding the penalty to the visitors at Molineux, allowing Newcastle to take the lead in the first half.
The referee signalled to the spot when Hwang Hee-chan knocked down Fabian Schar while attempting to clear the ball, and VAR confirmed his decision.
Jarred Gillett, the officer on duty at Stockley Park, took his time but ultimately decided not to take Taylor to his monitor for a second look at the incident.
Taylor, on the other hand, is poised to officiate Chelsea‘s visit to Manchester City on Sunday, just one weekend after officiating Preston North End’s match against Coventry City in the second tier.
Taylor’s trip to the championship was not without controversy, as the official who awarded Preston a penalty was called into question.
Kyle McFadzean was found to have brought down Milutin Osmajic within the box during the first half of the match, and Taylor was awarded a penalty.
However, replays revealed that the defender made minor contact, causing fans to erupt after Alan Browne scored the penalty kick, which helped seal the 3-2 home triumph.
Supporters flocked to social media, with some speculating that Taylor was about to drop another division.
Despite these pessimistic expectations, Taylor will spend the weekend supervising what is probably the crown jewel of the schedule.
Hot off the heels of a thrilling 4-1 win against Spurs to end their London rival’s unbeaten run, Chelsea will host Manchester looking to bloody the nose of the team at the top of the log.
Man City were able to hold onto their lead after a 6-1 thrashing of Bournemouth on Saturday, despite the fact that Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham all dropped points.
Chelsea, on the other hand, will be hoping that their absence from European football will help them achieve back-to-back triumphs over their Big Six rivals.
Pep Guardiola’s team will host the Young Boys at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening in the fourth match of their Champions League title defence.
