Does Michael Oliver Favor Manchester City in Big Matches?

• Referee Michael Oliver has made several debatable decisions favoring Manchester City over the past three seasons.
• There were questionable decisions made in Man City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool on the weekend, and more in the past.
• Oliver has been paid by Man City’s ownership group to officiate a UAE league game, which doesn’t help his cause.

Referee Michael Oliver has come under scrutiny for controversial decisions in Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday. He was on VAR duties this time around, but the official has made debatable calls in Man City games as the on-field referee before as well.

Links between Man City and Oliver don’t do anything to quiet the noise.

Oliver Has Made Questionable Decisions in Past Man City Games

Overall, on the day, Manchester City were the better team in their home win over Liverpool, who are struggling this season. City are now second to Arsenal in the EPL title odds for this season. Winger Jeremy Doku was unplayable on the left side of the field, finishing the scoring with a great strike.

However, he was brought down by Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili early, and it was minimal contact. The on-field referee Chris Kavanagh didn’t think it was enough for a penalty, but Michael Oliver (as a VAR referee) brought him to the monitor. Many believe the situation didn’t meet the criteria for a clear and obvious error.

Mamardashvili, to his credit, saved Erling Haaland’s penalty attempt.

Even more controversial was a disallowed goal by Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. It was ruled that Andy Robertson interfered with Man City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma while van Dijk was scoring a header.

Oliver again intervened from the VAR room, and the goal was overturned. Liverpool has contacted the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to raise concerns about the overturned goal. But this isn’t the first time Oliver has been questioned while officiating Man City games.

Oliver was the referee in a 1-0 Arsenal win at home over Man City in October 2023. But the conversation after the game was about how City midfielder Mateo Kovacic avoided a sending off. He was booked for a bad challenge on Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, but it could have easily been a red card, instead of a yellow. Shortly after, Kovacic did the same thing to Arsenal’s Declan Rice and didn’t receive a second yellow.

Doku then avoided a red card and giving away a penalty in the dying seconds in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool later that season, despite the City winger kicking Alexis Mac Allister in the chest. Again, Oliver was the man with the whistle on that day, and VAR stuck with his call.

Last season, Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard was sent off just before halftime of a 2-2 City draw with Arsenal. Trossard, who already had a yellow card, kicked the ball away after committing another foul, and Oliver showed him a red card. It was a dumb move by Trossard. However, Doku wasn’t even booked for doing something similar earlier in the game.

Is it simply poor officiating, or is there something else at play?

City Ownership Group Allegedly Paid for UAE Match Refereed by Oliver

It was revealed that Oliver had gone to the United Arab Emirates in 2023, shortly before the Kovacic game against Arsenal. He went to referee in a UAE league game. However, Oliver was paid by those games, and it is alleged that the funding came from people associated with City’s ownership group.

City Football Group Limited is 81% owned by Abu Dhabi United Group, which is headed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Abu Dhabi, of course, is in the UAE.

The PGMOL has since stopped high-level referees from officiating these one-off games. Officials can only go if it’s for development purposes.

Oliver isn’t being accused of anything sinister here, but it’s difficult not to make the connections and have questions raised. Again, Manchester City was the better team against Liverpool on Sunday in all facets.

But poor officiating these days, with everything going on in sports and sports betting, will lead to more questions about a referee’s allegiance. Simply put, the optics don’t look good, and it’s up to PGMOL to make sure the referees are consistent.