Jarred Gillett to Referee Arsenal’s Match Against Aston Villa
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After serving as VAR for Arsenal’s win over Coventry City last Friday, Jarred Gillett is set to officiate another match involving the Gunners next week.
The Premier League has confirmed that Gillett will be the referee for Arsenal’s away match against Aston Villa, with Neil Davies and Steve Meredith serving as assistants. Sam Barrott will be the fourth official, while James Bell will be on VAR duties alongside assistant VAR Nick Hopton.
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This marks the second time Gillett officiates an Arsenal match at Villa Park, a venue previously rife with contention during their last encounter.
In that match, Arsenal was denied a penalty after a foul by Douglas Luiz on Gabriel Jesus, despite the latter contacting the ball first as shown in replays. The Gunners were also dealt a setback when a late goal was disallowed for a suspected handball by Kai Havertz, with the VAR unable to intervene as Gillett had already dismissed the goal on-field.
Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
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Arsenal aims to avoid any similar issues this time, especially given that Villa Park has not been the most favorable venue for them lately.
In their last seven visits to Villa, the Gunners have secured three victories and suffered four losses, including a setback with a 2-1 defeat during last season’s title-winning run.
Following Arsenal’s impressive 3-0 start in their 2026/27 Premier League campaign and Aston Villa’s heavy 4-0 loss, the Gunners are optimistic about improving their performance and securing vital points this time around.
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Jarred Gillett will officiate yet another Arsenal game on Monday, with the Premier League naming him as the referee for the Gunners’ trip to Villa Park.
Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images
After he was named on VAR for Arsenal’s win over Coventry City last Friday, Jarred Gillett is set for another Arsenal game next week.
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The Premier League have confirmed that Gillett will referee Arsenal away to Aston Villa, assisted by Neil Davies and Steve Meredith. Sam Barrott will be the fourth official, with James Bell on VAR and Nick Hopton as the assistant VAR.
Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
This isn’t the first time Gillett has refereed Arsenal at Villa Park, and the previous occasion sparked plenty of controversy.
Arsenal were denied a penalty for an apparent foul by Douglas Luiz on Gabriel Jesus, with the Arsenal man getting to the ball first and the contact clear on the replays, but no spot-kick awarded.
The Gunners then had a late goal ruled out for a supposed handball by Kai Havertz. The replays were somewhat inconclusive, but as Gillett had ruled out the goal on-field, VAR could only intervene if it was a clear and obvious error.
Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
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Arsenal will hope for less controversy this time around, particularly as Villa Park hasn’t always been a happy hunting ground for the Gunners in recent years.
Of the team’s seven trips away to Villa this decade, Arsenal have won three and lost four, including a 2-1 defeat during last season’s title-winning campaign.
With Arsenal opening their 2026/27 Premier League account with a 3-0 win, and Villa starting the season with a 4-0 defeat, the hope is that the Gunners are in a better position to pick up three points this time around.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
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