John Wenham didn’t hold back in his criticism of Michael Oliver’s refereeing display during the intense North London derby clash between Tottenham and Arsenal. The host of the esteemed Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose, Wenham argued that Oliver’s repeated errors contributed to Tottenham’s narrow 3-2 defeat against their arch rivals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (28 April).

According to a report by the Daily Mail (30 April), Oliver is set to take on VAR duties in the upcoming match between Brighton and Aston Villa at the Amex Stadium (5 May) following the controversy surrounding his previous performance.

In an exclusive interview with Tottenham News, Wenham expressed his disappointment with the current state of refereeing in English football, labeling the standards as “at an all-time low.”

Wenham remarked, “Had just a few key refereeing decisions gone our way, the outcome could have been completely different. I found Oliver’s performance to be abysmal, possibly one of the worst refereeing displays I’ve witnessed. I can’t comprehend how he failed to spot Declan Rice’s challenge on Ben Davies right in front of him.”

He continued, “The overall quality of refereeing in this country is severely lacking, and unfortunately, Tottenham paid the price for this on Sunday.”

While VAR eventually corrected some of Oliver’s errors during the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it remains baffling that such technology was necessary.

The missed penalty call on Davies due to Rice’s foul was crystal clear, and Oliver had a prime vantage point to spot the incident.

While Oliver’s upcoming absence from the Premier League match this weekend is reportedly due to his officiating duties in the UEFA Europa Conference League encounter between Aston Villa and Olympiacos on Thursday (2 May), it is evident that the league may be breathing a sigh of relief.

Oliver might benefit from a break from the spotlight given his recent performance, illustrating the prevailing refereeing issues in the Premier League once more.