Reality is, football fans are not idiots, average age in the stadium is what, north of 40? Bet the education level (if it matters) is way above avg too given ticket prices. Against that backhground, I would guess that 90% of fans of Arsenal and United are absolutely convinced that Michael Oliver is not an impartial referee when working PL games. The reasons for this are quite obvious, the facts simply speaks for themselves. Looking at Arsenal and United the last two seasons, Michael Oliver has in 16 games as a referee: 1. Awarded 6 penalties against Utd and Arsenal (of which 3 on VAR) and 0 for them. In total, he has worked 82 games as a referee and on VAR -- and has during these games awarded 14 penalties (of which 4 are on VAR). I.e. 42.8% of the penalties he has awarded has been against Arsenal and United, who stastically should account for 2/20th of them -- i.e. a statistical deviation of 428%. Statistically, he should have awarded 2.73 penalties for United and Arsenal, and since he has awarded zero, this is a statistical deviation of 273% (I guess that is how would you count it, I am not a mathematician). 2. Given 4 red cards to United and Arsenal players and 0 to players of opposing teams. In total he has in 82 games given 10 red cards. The math is easy, United and Arsenal should have accounted for 2/20ths of 10 red cards, i.e. 1, and with 4 awarded, the statistical deviation is 400%. No red card has been given to an opponent of either Arsenal and United, statistically, 1.95 should have been awarded, giving a statistical deviation of 195%. 3. Given 42 yellow cards to United and Arsenal, and 35 to their opponents. Its not a super massive deviation, but it can be noted that United and Arsenal in total takes fewer yellows than the average. 👉The above doesn't prove that much, you will get stastistical deviations from time to another, anything else would in itself be a statistical deviation. But of the 6 penalties and 4 red cards given in 16 games -- you have so many absurd calls. I can't recollect all details involving Arsenal and won't try because I wouldn't do them justice -- but nobody can watch the penalty he awarded to City while being the VAR in the Manchester derby and not ask themselves -- if this is a penalty, why aren't three penalties called every corner in the PL? Its just a hand on the shoulder, how can that be clear and obvious? Many will remember the West Ham penalty with Oliver on VAR, must be top 3 worst VAR interventions ever. You cannot even determine if there is contact. And if there is, who makes contact with who? 4. The above just refers to calls made against the clubs. On the other side of the coin -- you easily have an equal number of absurd non-calls. In relation to Arsenal, the Kovacic challenges sticks out. I am a United fan, but lets call a spade a spade, here you got a referee who has given red cards to Arsenal players for anything and everything -- and then Kovacic commits two fouls in short succession that easily both could have been red cards and he gets one yellow and a 'stern warning'. The non call for Romero's handball on Garnacho's shot is just absurd from my point of view. Arm stretches out above shoulder, ball is clearly going into the net, ball hits the hand. Peter Shilton would be proud of that save. What is VAR for if that isn't called? There is zero subjectivity in a call like that. About as much subjectivity as there is when determining if a goal should be scored when the ball de facto has passed the goal line and there are no other objections. Etc etc etc etc etc etc. 5. I don't have time right now to check for Arsenal, but from start of 23/24 to February 2024 -- 70% of all cards he gave for "dissent" was given to United players, which is a statistical deviation of app. 3,500%. During 22/23 and 23/24 about 33% of all yellow cards for dissent was given to United players, which is a statistical deviation of about 600%. Dalot got two yellow cards for what, he less than 2 seconds apart punched in the air twice. Bruno got one for -- as the captain -- within seconds of a tackle yelling 'it was on the ball', nothing else. I can post a video of it later. Minutes before and after incidents like this, Oliver can be surrendered by 5 City player with Haaland screaming in his ear from 3 inches, and no yellow is given. Its just blatant and flagrant bias. It should be noted, that this season he has given out a very high number of yellow cards for dissent to everyone, and probably brought down the deviation quite significantly. 🔺How can anyone be surprised if you against this background get idiot fans posting stupid things online? Facts are that (I believe) the average fan of either team will look at Oliver and see a PL referee gone rouge trying to decide the outcome of the competition. How is this fact -- i.e. I am not saying that Oliver is corrupt, I am saying that I estimate that the average fan watching his work will not think that he is impartial -- met? Howard Webb takes the scene and gives some absurd explanation of how Oliver forgot that he was the VAR because he got 'hyperfocused' on whether there was contact between De Ligt and the West Ham player. By my count 3 of 4 of the times Oliver has sent a referee to the screen as VAR the last 2 seasons has been against United (I don't think he has worked 1 game as VAR with Arsenal playing) -- and 2 of those 3 VAR interventions are absurd by any standard. Why does he forget that he is on VAR and that a 'clear and obvious' thresehold applies when United plays, and not during the other 37 games he has been VAR? Makes absolutely no sense. This is a guy watching video, from 100s of angles, in slowmotion. Its not heat of the moment decisions. How is an explanation like that any different than a serial shoplifter caught with his pants stuffed with expensive wares, claiming that he meant to pay for them but forgot? It is when people like Oliver Holt neglect to cover things like this, that you get the situation we have right now. And this situation does not just hurt the referee in question, these things -- that just comes across as gross inexplainable injusties repeated time after time -- are being displayed across the globe to tens of millions of viewers. What does this do for the workenvironment for referees across the globe? What does this do for the trust in society? Its unbeliveable how someone like Oliver Holt who works for a respected newspaper cannot see the damage he and his collegues are doing by sweaping these issues under the carpet. Just shameful and a complete disgrace.