Referee and VAR named for Liverpool's clash with Fulham

Stuart Attwell has been appointed as the referee for Liverpool's home game against Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday, 3 December.

The Reds earned a valuable point away at Manchester City following the international break, with Trent Alexander-Arnold's late strike ensuring the visitors didn't lose ground on Pep Guardiola's defending champions in the title race.

Heading into a jam-packed December schedule – which begins with the visit of Fulham – Liverpool sit just two points off leaders Arsenal.

The Premier League has confirmed that Attwell (41) will referee the Reds' clash against Fulham at Anfield, while Richard West and James Mainwaring will be the assistants.

Paul Tierney - whose history with Jurgen Klopp is well-known – will be the VAR in Stockley Park, alongside AVAR Adam Nunn.

STUART ATTWELL RECORD IN LIVERPOOL GAMES

Warwickshire-born Attwell has officiated 22 Liverpool games since his league debut back in 2008.

Of those 22 fixtures, 15 have been wins for the Reds, five have been draws and just two have been losses.

Attwell has given out 22 yellow cards (average of just one per game), zero red cards and awarded three penalties in games involving Liverpool.

Though the Reds have a favourable record when Attwell has been in charge, Jurgen Klopp criticised the official after the 3-1 defeat to Brentford back in January.

Speaking to beIN Sports about speaking to the match officials about some of the decisions during the game, the Liverpool boss said: “It’s actually exactly the same as I would talk to my microwave, you get no response really. It’s always the same.

“VAR hides behind the phrase ‘not clear and obvious’. The referee needs to explain that.”

Attwell also officiated Liverpool's 1-0 win over Fulham last season.

After the game back in May, Fulham captain Tom Cairney claimed that Attwell admitted he made a mistake in awarding Liverpool with the match-winning penalty that came after Issa Diop was adjudged to have fouled Darwin Nuñez.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the midfielder said: 'The ref made a decision, I thought he had seen contact. I asked him 'please just make sure they (VAR) check it'.

"He said they had checked it but then he said in the second-half to one of our players that it wasn't a penalty.

"So it's frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision.

"Issa Diop hasn't touched him, Nunez has taken another step and then gone over, and then you lose to something like that at Anfield which is frustrating when we're trying to climb as high as we can."

Meanwhile, VAR Tierney returns to a Liverpool game after officiating the win over Brentford.