Nottingham Forest and Arsenal face off in the Premier League on Saturday at 5:30pm, with Michael Oliver appointed as the referee.
Oliver is one of the most-used referees in the Premier League this season, taking charge of 16 games so far. Only one referee has overseen more matches. Two of his 16 matches so far have involved Nottingham Forest, and both have been at the City Ground. Oliver has also refereed Arsenal once in the league this season, taking charge of the north London derby.
Nottingham Forest will be hoping to move further away from the relegation zone, while Arsenal are looking to tighten their grip on top spot.
Jump to:
Michael Oliver’s Nottingham Forest record
Oliver has refereed Nottingham Forest 22 times so far, and they don’t have the best record. The Tricky Trees have lost 13 of those games, including each of their past three across all competitions. But it isn’t that Oliver is overly harsh on Forest. He is yet to send off a Forest player and averages under two cards a game. Oliver has also awarded Forest two penalties, with three against them.
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches | 22 |
| Wins | 6 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Defeats | 13 |
| League points | 20 |
| Penalties per game | 0.09 |
| Yellow cards per game | 1.91 |
| Red cards per game | 0 |
What happened when Michael Oliver last refereed Nottingham Forest?
Oliver was the man in the middle for Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 defeat to Everton in their final league game of 2025. It was a pretty uneventful game with just one yellow card, shown to Forest’s Douglas Luiz. Forest did commit 11 fouls.
Dabble sign-up offer: Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets
Not signed up to Dabble yet? Here's how to claim the Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets welcome offer:
- Sign up to Dabble through this link
- Register your account with accurate personal details
- Place your first bet of £10 or more
- Receive your £10 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted
- Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days
#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. GambleAware.org
Michael Oliver’s Arsenal record
This will be Oliver’s 64th Arsenal game as a referee. He’s only refereed one team more in his career. The Gunners have felt his wrath quite a bit too, with eight red cards across their 63 games so far. That’s more red cards than any other side Oliver has refereed. Four of those have been for two yellows, too, including a few harsh options. Arsenal fans won’t forget when Oliver showed Gabriel Martinelli two yellow cards within a minute, for two separate fouls in the same move — having played advantage on the first foul.
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches | 63 |
| Wins | 32 |
| Draws | 13 |
| Defeats | 18 |
| League points | 87 |
| Penalties per game | 0.08 |
| Yellow cards per game | 1.75 |
| Red cards per game | 0.13 |
What happened when Michael Oliver last refereed Arsenal?
As mentioned, Oliver was the referee for the north London derby earlier this season, which Arsenal won 4-1. Arsenal did have a slightly controversial goal allowed for a subjective offside, though our followers on X did still feel it was the right decision. Oliver also showed three yellow cards to Tottenham Hotspur players, combined to one to Arsenal.
What should we expect from Michael Oliver?
Oliver is actually one of the more lenient referees this season. He has scored just one red card and 41 yellows across his 16 matches, averaging 2.6 per game. Only one referee with more than one game refereed averages fewer cards. It’s a similar story for Oliver’s 8.2 fouls per card. And Oliver has only awarded one penalty. So we could see a lot let go in this game, which is what fans love to see.