Is Jarred Gillett a Liverpool fan? Premier League referee behind Arsenal VAR call

Arsenal fans have been left fuming after learning that - a reported Liverpool fan.

suffered two huge blows in the title race on Saturday, losing to Bournemouth while also knowing they will face Liverpool next . Saliba was sent off in the game after bringing down striker Evanilson who had been going through on goal.

A wayward pass from Leandro Trossard saw Saliba lose ground to the striker before pulling him down, with referee Rob Jones brandishing a yellow before being told to check the incident on the video assistant screen.`

Intriguingly, the VAR official for the game was Gillett - a referee who has previously been reported as a Liverpool fan and has angered Arsenal fans in the past. After checking over the incident, Jones amended his decision and gave Saliba a red card.

He will now miss Arsenal's clash with Liverpool next weekend. Jones is also from the Wirral area near Liverpool and is not allowed to referee in the Reds' or Everton games. Videos were immediately posted by Arsenal fans across social media, fuming after learning of Gillett's reported allegiance to the Reds while being an EPL official.

But is Jarred Gillett actually a Liverpool fan?

An Australian, former A-league referee, Gillett is the first non-British Isles official to ever referee a Premier League game. He joined the league in 2021. Since then, he has not served as an official in any Liverpool game.

Gillett has previously taken charge of Liverpool charity games, being the referee when the Reds' team with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher played at Anfield against an AC Milan legends team. Shortly after that game, FOX Sports commentator Brenton Speed revealed Gillett's allegiance.

"He told me about this a couple of months ago, said keep it under your hat because I’m not sure whether I’ll get the appointment," Speed said on the.

"That’ll be the last game he ever officiates at Anfield because he had to fill out a document when he agreed to join the referees' board over there and you have to fill in the team you supported as a boy/man and he said it was Liverpool. So that means your taken off all their games, home or away."

Speed knows Gillett from his time covering soccer in Australia and the fact Gillett has not officiated any Liverpool game supports his claim.

Liverpool.com says: While numerous reports have suggested Gillett is a Liverpool fan, this feels irrelevant for this instance when it comes to fans accusing him of being biased. Gillett was not the one to red card Saliba, and only told the referee that he should consider looking it over, correctly amending his yellow to a red, with the Frenchman denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

With Saliba, Odegaard, and potentially Saka missing against Liverpool, the Reds are likely to be favored in what will be a big game in potentially separating themselves from their rivals for the Premier League trophy.