Who Will Officiate Manchester United vs Arsenal at Old Trafford?

The opening weekend of the Premier League will see two of the best clubs in England face off, with Manchester United hosting Arsenal at Old Trafford in a game that could possibly be one of the best opening weekend matches we have seen in a while. The Red Devils have prepared well for the season, winning two trophies (Premier League Summer Series and Snapdragon Cup). On the other hand, Gunners won the Emirates Cup with an easy 3-0 win against Athletic Club. This is one of the oldest matchups in English football history; it will be the 245th match between the two clubs. Manchester United have had an upper hand in this fixture with 99 wins, while Arsenal have managed to win 90 matches.

Referee for Man United vs Arsenal Premier League Game

The Premier League has appointed referees for Week 1 of the 2025-26 season. Manchester United vs Arsenal on 17th August at Old Trafford will see Simon Hooper take charge of the biggest match of the opening weekend, when the Red Devils host the Gunners. Hooper has been a part of the Premier League since 2015. He officiated his first match, which was held between Norwich City and Crystal Palace. In 2018, he was promoted to the Select group (a panel of professional football referees and assistant referees).
Hooper will be joined by Adrian Holmes and Simon Long, while Jared Gillet has been appointed as the fourth official. All eyes will be on Paul Tierney, who will be the Video Assistant Referee, and he will be assisted by Steve Meredith. Both United and Arsenal will be looking to kick off their campaign on a high note, after finishing 15th and second respectively last term.

All Eyes on New Signings

The summer transfer window has been very active for both clubs with them investing in players. Arsenal have signed players who can bring the Premier League title under Mikel Arteta, with the likes of Kepa, Norgaard, Madueke, Zubimendi and most importantly Gyokeres leading the charts. Gyokeres will be the leading man in the attack for Arsenal, who has the potential to fill the void of a goal-scoring striker and can play on the left wing and prove to be lethal on the wings as well. Arsenal have addressed the problem of a defensive midfielder also, Zubimendi has taken over Partey's position, who was instrumental in holding the ball and making plays. Zubimendi has the same tendency but is younger than Partey.

Manchester United had one of its worst seasons, finishing in the bottom half last season. Erik Ten Hag's departure and Ruben Amorim's arrival in the second half of the season just made things more difficult for the club, knowing what they were facing already with the owners and their financial crisis. After the finish of the last season, Amorim's words, “Good days are coming,” were literally what the fans wanted to hear. This transfer window has been about the rebuild with the signings of Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko. They have addressed a few areas, but are still looking for a defensive midfielder and a goalkeeper. This match will be a test for Ruben Amorim and his new squad.