Ranking The Top Referees Currently Officiating In The Premier League

Criticism of referees is sadly too commonplace these days, with social media ratcheting it up to toxic levels.

Some officials, however, deserve credit for their ability to take charge, refrain from being the star of the show, and calmly control proceedings on a football pitch. Here, we rank the five best referees currently keeping up with play in England’s top flight.

5) Chris Kavanagh

The Mancunian cuts a divisive figure in the centre-circle, disliked by some for his authoritarian stance. In 2024/25 so far, he has dished out the most cautions per game of any official who has presided over seven or more matches. He is the only ref to show four red cards.

One of those dismissals made headline news when Arsenal’s Declan Rice was sent for an early bath for obstructing a free-kick versus Brighton. Whether you agree with that decision or not, Kavanagh stood tall and refused to be influenced by a rowdy Emirates crowd.

Which explains why he is admired as much as he is disfavoured. Because Taylor and Oliver aside, no ref is braver at staying true to their convictions.

4) Jarred Gillett

If you fear a dodgy call ultimately costing you in the football betting, this is the man you want in charge. That’s because the highly-rated Aussie so rarely gets the big calls wrong.

Hailing from Down Under, Gillett agreed to be miked up during his final game in the A-League, the video subsequently going viral. It showed a man in full control of his environment. A man doing his job impeccably.

Rarely used in his first two years in the Premier League he is increasingly becoming a valuable resource for the PGMOL, deployed on 21 occasions in 2023/24. Only seven referees were given more assignments.

The 37-year-old’s biggest strength lies in brooking no nonsense but letting the petty stuff go.

3) Darren England

Consistently under-utilised by the PGMOL, England is admired by his colleagues for his work-rate, both on the pitch in mileage covered, and off it in improving his skill-set.

Barnsley-born and imbued with a Yorkshireman’s intolerance of flippancy, England may not be one of those refs who allows a game to flow but balancing that, players know they can’t get away with time-wasting or feigning injury, both huge bug-bears in the modern game.

To date this season, he has shown 4.57 yellows per game and has brandished the second highest number of reds.

England is comfortable enough to be the bad guy for the good of the game.

2) Anthony Taylor

No stranger to controversy, Taylor’s no-nonsense approach rubs up all fan-bases the wrong way in equal measure, as illustrated by the predictable response whenever he is handed a marquee clash.

Liverpool fans point out Taylor’s Wythenshawe roots and allege a Manchester bias. Manchester City fans succumb to baseless gossip that all of his family are ‘Reds’.

Chelsea supporters meanwhile are so sure of an ‘agenda’ against their club they once completed a 160,000-strong petition campaigning for him never to ref their games again.

There is also Taylor’s high card-count to consider. This season we are witnessing a welcome drop-off – and perhaps a chance of approach – but in campaigns past the 46-year-old was routinely a table-topper in this regard, and often by some distance.

Yet speak to anyone in the know and they insist the headline-magnet is one of the very best whistle-blowers around, standing for no silliness but also a master at playing advantage. A glance at Taylor’s list of major finals and tournament appearances shows how widely respected he is by the game’s decision-makers.

1) Michael Oliver

Selected to represent the FA at the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024, and typically entrusted to officiate the biggest, most combustible domestic fixtures, there is a clear reason why Oliver is in a league of his own. More than any other official, he has the utmost respect of the players.

It’s a broad respect that covers many bases, from being approachable and fair but not overly ‘matey’, to rarely shirking the big decisions. Crucially too, more times than not, he gets them right.

Simply put, if your team is at either extreme in the Premier League betting you want Oliver in the middle for that must-win game.

His fellow peers believe him to be the stand-out referee of his generation. Who are we to argue?