The referee and video assistant referee (VAR) for Liverpool’s trip to Bournemouth have been confirmed, with Paul Tierney officiating the Reds again.
In all honesty, there are few referees with whom you don’t sigh when they are confirmed to be on Liverpool matches.
One official who legitimately requires a deep exhale is Paul Tierney. He will be the VAR for the Reds’ Premier League match against Bournemouth on January 21.
Jurgen Klopp has a long history of controversy when being officiated by Tierney, with the pair clashing on several occasions.
Liverpool feel they have been left shortchanged by the referee since he first took charge of the Reds, in 2017 when he ruled out a late winner from Dominic Solanke.
He has refereed Liverpool on the pitch twice this season, with the Reds winning both matches – 3-0 vs. Brentford and 2-0 vs. Burnley.
While Tierney is the VAR for this one, Andy Madley will be the onfield referee. This season, he was in charge for Liverpool’s 1-1 draw against Luton and the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
The assistants will be Harry Lenard and Nick Hopton, while Scott Ledger will be assisting Tierney in Stockley Park. The fourth official has been named as Graham Scott.
Research by Paul Tomkins shows that Liverpool’s win percentage decreases by around 10 percent when Tierney is referee for the Reds. In comparison, Chelsea‘s increases by nearly 30 percent, Man City‘s by nearly 20 percent and Man United‘s by eight percent.
He also calculated that while Tierney is officiating, four big decisions have been overturned to go against Liverpool. In comparison, Man United and Chelsea have had six changed in their favour, while Man City have had five positive overturns.
Not a great sign, but Liverpool have overcome any problems with the referee to win both games this season officiated by Tierney.
This is despite the Reds having a goal incorrectly disallowed in their most recent meeting, against Burnley.
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