Leeds United are back in action at Elland Road for the first time since before the international break, with the Whites facing off against 20th-placed Wolves.
Whilst some of United’s most recent home performances have been frustrating, with games against Brentford and Sunderland coming to mind, Daniel Farke’s men will be full of confidence after their tremendous victory at Old Trafford on Monday night.
A win over Wolves would make it virtually impossible for Leeds to go down from that point, barring a complete capitulation that even Leeds may not be capable of.
Ahead of the pivotal clash at the foot of the table, the Premier League have confirmed a major decision prior to Saturday’s meeting.
Referees confirmed ahead of Leeds vs Wolves game
There have been many controversial decisions in Leeds games so far this season, and their most recent outing against Manchester United was no exception.
Michael Carrick was quick to complain post-game about the two controversial incidents during the game: the Dominic Calvert-Lewin challenge on Leny Yoro in the buildup to the first goal, as well as Lisandro Martinez’s sending off for pulling Calvert-Lewin’s hair. Both incidents went against the hosts but were absolutely the correct calls by referee Paul Tierney.
Although Leeds may have wanted him to be in charge again, Tierney has been assigned another game at the weekend, with Tim Robinson scheduled to referee United’s game against Wolves.
Lee Betts and Mat Wilkes will be his assistants, whilst Nick Hopton will be in charge of VAR as confirmed on the official Premier League website.
READ MORE: Simon Jordan slams Manchester United excuses – “Leeds are a better team” – The Leeds Press
Tim Robinson is a fairly inexperienced Premier League referee
Robinson has only taken charge of nine Premier League matches this season, and 48 top-flight games in total during his 185 games as a referee so far.
One of the games Robinson took charge of in the Premier League this season was Leeds’ trip to Turf Moor, when the Whites fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Burnley back in October.
According to Footy Metrics, their data reveals that Robinson may have a tendency that will work in Leeds’ favour at Elland Road over the weekend.
The referee is said to have a 17% tendancy to issue more cards to away teams, suggesting that home-field influence could interfere with his decision-making.
In a game of this magnitude, Leeds need every major advantage they can get, and hopefully for them, Robinson can favour them when it comes to any potential 50/50 calls between the two sides.
READ MORE: Roy Keane slams Manchester United duo who were ‘outclassed’ by two Leeds stars – The Leeds Press
