Aston Villa's Premier League showdown with Liverpool has undergone a last-minute referee switch.

Initially, Stuart Attwell was set to officiate the clash at Villa Park on Wednesday night, but the 42-year-old has now been replaced by Craig Pawson.

Pawson was originally due to take charge of Leeds United's Championship encounter with Sunderland AFC at Elland Road on Monday evening.

However, he was substituted by Attwell at the eleventh hour, sparking speculation among fans that the decision was influenced by Pawson's alleged support for Sheffield United.

Referee for Aston Villa vs Liverpool changed late on as PGMOL forced into official alterations	Liverpool game vs Aston Villa gets last-minute referee change as reason explained	Aston Villa vs Liverpool referee changed on late notice as new official steps in

The decision, however, was purely based on scheduling and not due to any conflict of interest.

This means Pawson will now preside over Villa's match against Liverpool on Wednesday evening, as Arne Slot's team aims to extend their seven-point lead over Arsenal at the summit of the table.

The Reds have triumphed in 18 of their 25 English top flight matches this season, with their only defeat inflicted by Nottingham Forest back in September.

Meanwhile, Villa, currently ninth in the table, are keen to keep their European aspirations alive for the 2025/26 season, just five points shy of Europa League qualification and six from the Champions League.

Unai Emery's squad has made a strong impression on the European stage throughout 2024/25, finishing eighth in the new league format with five victories, one draw and just two defeats from eight games.

The Villains are next in line to face either Club Brugge, Borussia Dortmund or Sporting CP in the Round of 16, as they aim for their first Champions League title since their 1-0 triumph over Bayern Munich in 1982.

Without Pawson manning the helm, Monday's clash between Leeds and Sunderland concluded in a contentious manner.

Black Cats new signing, Wilson Isidor, broke the deadlock at Elland Road after 32 minutes, thanks to an exceptional long-range pass from Dan Ballard.

The Frenchman outsmarted Ethan Ampadu before firing low into the bottom left corner of the net.

Regis Le Bris' team then adopted a defensive strategy, successfully holding their lead until Pascal Struijk equalised for Leeds with just 12 minutes of regular time remaining.

Patrick Roberts gave away a perilous free kick on the left flank, which Joe Rothwell delivered perfectly into the box, allowing Struijk to head it home.

Sunderland were then forced to return Wearside empty-handed when Struijk secured victory for Leeds in the dying moments of the match, with Rothwell once again playing a crucial role.

The midfielder cut in from the right before launching a cross towards Anthony Patterson's goal, lobbing the keeper before Struijk headed the ball home to secure all three points for Leeds.

The triumph has catapulted Daniel Farke's side back to the top of the Championship table, holding a two-point advantage over Sheffield United in their quest for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

On the other hand, Sunderland appears set to secure a playoff spot for their performance in the 2024/25 season, currently occupying fourth place, eight points adrift of automatic promotion with just 13 matches remaining.

This article originally appeared on Mirror


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