Craig Pawson has been named as the referee for Saturday’s lunchtime Premier League kick-off between Brentford and Manchester United at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Man Utd head into the match aiming for back-to-back league wins for the first time since the end of the 2023-24 campaign, following a fiery win over Chelsea last weekend that saw two players sent off. Brentford, meanwhile, will take confidence from their recent record in this fixture, which they won 4-3 last season.
Pawson has dished out 130 yellow cards, six red cards, and nine penalties across 35 matches since the start of the 2024-25 season, hinting that we could be in store for some incidents on Saturday. In his four matches this season, Pawson’s handed out nine yellows, sent off Aston Villa’s Esri Konsa, and pointed to the spot once.
Read: Brentford vs Manchester United: predictions, stats, tips & odds
Craig Pawson’s Brentford Record
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches | 8 |
| Wins | 4 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Defeats | 3 |
| League Points | 13 |
| Penalties Per Game | 0.12 |
| Yellow Cards Per Game | 1.25 |
| Reds Per Game | 0 |
Pawson has overseen eight Brentford matches spread across all four divisions of the Football League, the first of which stretches all the way back to a 3-0 defeat to Chester in 2008 when the club were in League Two.
Across those eight games, the Bees have won four, received just 10 yellow cards, have never had a player sent off, and have been awarded a single penalty. They’ve kept their discipline impressively in many of those fixtures, having gone card-free in three matches and receiving just one booking in another three.
Interestingly, half of their 10 yellow cards came in just one game, which was a heated 1-0 defeat to Newcastle in 2023. That match saw Callum Wilson score from a highly contentious penalty, sparking frustration from then Brentford boss Thomas Frank, who fumed: “We have a keeper clearly pulling out and a player cleverly letting his leg hang there.
“Now we will have a situation where Howard Webb will come out and apologise about the situation and say ‘we’re sorry’. Going forward these should not be penalties.”
Craig Pawson’s Man Utd Record
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches | 39 |
| Wins | 20 |
| Draws | 9 |
| Defeats | 10 |
| League Points | 51 |
| Penalties Per Game | 0.0.5 |
| Yellow Cards Per Game | 2.08 |
| Reds Per Game | 0 |
Pawson has officiated 39 Man Utd matches dating back to 2014, during which he’s handed the Red Devils 81 yellows, zero reds, and just two penalties. Under his whistle, Man Utd have won 20 matches, drawn nine, and lost 10 times.
Pawson wasn’t exactly a lucky charm for Man Utd last season. Both of the matches he officiated resulted in defeats for the Red Devils: a 2-1 loss at Brighton and a humbling 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth, during which he awarded the Cherries a penalty, which was converted by Justin Kluivert en route to convincing victory for the visitors.
Pawson previously found himself at the centre of controversy in 2022 during a clash between Man Utd and Newcastle, when the FA charged the Red Devils for failing to control their players. This came after Pawson disallowed a Cristiano Ronaldo goal and then booked the forward, having also waved away a strong penalty appeal for the hosts.
Summary
Man Utd have some history with Craig Pawson, setting the stage up for a bit of needle this weekend. In contrast, Brentford’s matches under his watch have typically been uneventful, with few cards shown – the exception being a fiery encounter against Newcastle two years ago.
Brentford have enjoyed recent success at home against Man Utd, taking seven points from their last three meetings at the Gtech and scoring four goals in two of those games. Meanwhile, Man Utd have picked up 2 or more yellow cards in five of the last six encounters between the sides.