Manchester United fans have been left wary following the Premier League’s announcement that Chris Kavanagh will take charge of Sunday’s clash against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
Kavanagh returns to top-flight officiating just weeks after a “catalogue of errors” during the FA Cup fourth-round tie between Aston Villa and Newcastle United. The fallout from that match was so severe that Kavanagh’s assistant, Nick Greenhalgh, has been officially demoted to the Championship for the upcoming game week.
The ‘FA Cup Nightmare’ Explained
The controversy surrounding Kavanagh and his team stems from several high-profile blunders at Villa Park:
- The Penalty That Wasn’t: A clear handball inside the box was inexplicably awarded as a free-kick outside the area.
- The Missed Red Card: Despite sending off Marco Bizot, the officials failed to dismiss Lucas Digne for a dangerous, shin-high tackle on Jacob Murphy.
- Offside Confusion: A goal by Tammy Abraham was initially allowed despite an offside in the buildup.
While Kavanagh was given a “cooling-off” period in the Conference League, the Premier League has now deemed him ready for United’s high-stakes battle for the Top Four.
Match Officials for Man Utd vs Crystal Palace:
| Role | Official |
| Referee | Chris Kavanagh |
| Assistants | Dan Cook & Ian Hussin |
| Fourth Official | Sam Barrott |
| VAR | Tony Harrington |
| Assistant VAR | Neil Davies |
Team News: Defensive Headache for Carrick
While the spotlight is on the referee, Michael Carrick is dealing with his own crisis in defense. Matthijs de Ligt remains sidelined with a long-term back injury, and Lisandro Martínez missed the recent win over Everton due to a calf issue.
However, Carrick remains optimistic about Martínez’s recovery:
“He picked up something during the week. It doesn’t seem too bad at all… Leny Yoro has done well, he comes in and we move forward.”
United head into the weekend looking to complete their first “double” of the season over the Eagles, following their victory at Selhurst Park back in November. With Chelsea and Aston Villa dropping points, any mistake at Old Trafford whether from the players or the officials could be fatal for United’s Champions League ambitions.
Thiago Nuno is a football editor and analyst covering European leagues, match statistics, and transfer market trends.
