Arsenal vs Tottenham referee 'isn't allowed' to officiate two clubs in the Premier League

The referee taking charge of the north London derby on Sunday afternoon has never officiated two clubs due to his hometown connections

Referee Peter Bankes will take charge of one of the season's most highly anticipated matches this Sunday afternoon when Tottenham host Arsenal in the north London derby.

The Lancashire-born official brings considerable experience and represents an ideal selection for such a big fixture, though interestingly, the 43-year-old has never refereed matches featuring two particular Premier League sides.

Bankes, who has held FIFA-listed status since 2021, will be assisted by Eddie Smart and Blake Antrobus at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Sam Barrott has been appointed as the fourth official, while Darren England and assistant Tim Wood will handle VAR duties.

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Hailing from Merseyside, Bankes' County FA is the Liverpool Football Association. It is for that reason that he has never overseen a fixture involving either Liverpool or Everton.

Premier League officials are required to declare which football club they support and are prohibited from refereeing matches involving that side or fixtures which directly impact them. They are also generally avoided for clubs in their immediate local area, even if they don't support them, as well as clubs associated with their County FA.

Bankes has officiated 18 Premier League matches this season, issuing 72 yellow cards at an average of four per game. He has also shown three red cards, including one for a second bookable offence, while awarding five penalties in the current top-flight season.

Arsenal supporters might view his appointment positively for the derby, considering the Gunners have managed nine victories, one draw and three defeats in their 13 matches he has overseen. Two of those losses came against Southampton, one in the FA Cup and another in the league.

His latest Arsenal fixture was their 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg. Prior to that, he refereed their 2-1 loss at Aston Villa in December and their 5-1 win over Manchester City in February 2025.

Bankes has shown just 12 yellow cards to Arsenal players and is yet to send off a Gunners player. In contrast, Tottenham fans may be less pleased about his presence on Sunday.

The referee has frustrated several Spurs managers over the years, notably Jose Mourinho in September 2020. Mourinho was left furious with Bankes during a 1-1 draw with Newcastle over a handball decision involving Eric Dier.

In August 2022, Bankes faced criticism from Antonio Conte following a game against West Ham. The Italian was unhappy with how Bankes handled a penalty incident when he overturned an on-field decision against Aaron Cresswell, denying Spurs a penalty kick.

Bankes was labelled "embarrassing" for his "very, very strange" decision. More recently, Ange Postecoglou was left fuming that two penalties weren't awarded to James Maddison during a 2-1 win over Sheffield United.

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