Top Premier League Referees

Being a Premier League referee is a thankless profession. It’s a high-pressure job packed with vitriol from thousands of enraged fans. Good performances are rarely acknowledged, while poor decisions can be dissected for weeks and remembered by fans for decades.

It takes a certain kind of thick-skinned individual to want to referee.

Let’s buck the criticism-heavy trend and celebrate the best referees the Premier League has to offer:

5) Paul Tierney

Arriving on the scene midway through the 2010s, Paul Tierney was never left behind by the pace of the Premier League. His exceptional fitness meant his positioning was rarely wrong.

There have been mistakes in Tierney’s career. That’s the case for most referees, of course, and while Tierney hasn’t quite reached the heights some expected of him a few years ago, he remains a reliable Premier League referee.

4) Chris Kavanagh

Chris Kavanagh was one of 10 referees to take charge of 20 Premier League matches in 2023-24. In that group, only two showed fewer yellow cards per game, and Kavanagh had the lowest fouls per tackles rate.

Appointed to the FIFA list in 2019, Kavanagh has been given a Championship Playoff final and an EFL Cup final. He’s been trusted with big Premier League matches, like Manchester United and Spurs in September 2024, along with Nations League and Europa League commitments.

3) Jarred Gillett

Jarred Gillett has seemingly adapted to the Premier League after making a name for himself in Australia. Possessing a calm demeanour and natural authority on the field, Gillett wasn’t given many assignments during his first couple of years, but he’s flourished to become one of the Premier League’s best officials.

Gillett has developed a reputation as being rather card happy. In 2023-24, he was below league average in fouls given, but above the average in cards shown. In a small sample early in 2024-25, the Aussie has been showing cards at a high rate and calling more fouls than in prior seasons.

The first man born outside the British Isles to referee a Premier League match has quickly become one of the better officials in English football.

2) Anthony Taylor

He’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and he’s often been at the centre of controversy, but Anthony Taylor has an impressive CV.

The matches he’s given provide a clear idea of how much the governing bodies trust him from hot-headed Premier League clashes to big-time international gigs, including the 2021 Nations League Final.

Born in Wythenshawe, Taylor has been the subject of more absurd conspiracy theories than most referees, having consistently riled up Liverpool and Chelsea fans. Impartial observers are aware he’s an excellent official, though.

1) Michael Oliver

Players trust and respect Michael Oliver. It is very rare a match he’s in charge of gets out of hand. Naturally, Oliver’s ability to command the attention of players has earned him appearances at major international tournaments, including Euro 2024.

Named by Howard Webb and numerous others as the best referee of his generation, there was never any doubt about Oliver’s placing in these rankings.

FIFA listed since 2013 and part of the UEFA Elite group since 2018, Oliver has already taken charge of a League Cup final and two FA Cup finals. How many more will he be assigned before he hangs up his notebook?