The Premier League has confirmed that Peter Bankes will officiate Sunday’s match between Chelsea and Brentford at Stamford Bridge. The game will kick off at 7pm, later than usual, following Chelsea’s 16-hour round trip to Kazakhstan. The Blues played in the UEFA Europa Conference League against Astana on Thursday and faced an extended flight due to restrictions on flying over conflict zones in Ukraine, Russia, and Syria. As a result, the Premier League rescheduled the London derby from its usual 2pm slot to accommodate the longer journey.
Bankes has officiated 10 Chelsea matches, with the Blues winning six, drawing three, and losing once. He has refereed Brentford 19 times, with the Bees securing seven wins, seven draws, and five losses in those encounters. This season, he has officiated eight Premier League games, averaging four yellow cards and just over 18 fouls per match. Bankes was the referee for Chelsea’s 4-2 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion in September, during which he awarded a 28th-minute penalty converted by Cole Palmer. This will be the first time Bankes has officiated a Brentford match this season. Ian Hussin and Nick Greenhalgh will assist him, with Rob Jones serving as the fourth official. Matt Donohue will oversee VAR, assisted by Dan Robathan.
Ahead of the game, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca shared his philosophy: “I try to convince myself and the players that the only way to compete for something is to stay focused on the day-to-day. If you start thinking too far ahead, it’s the start of a bad period. I prefer to think day by day, focusing on improving myself and my players. At what moment we can think differently, I don’t know.”
Brentford manager Thomas Frank also spoke about the upcoming match: “I expect an interesting game with two good teams. Chelsea are probably the best team in the Premier League right now, maybe even more in-form than Liverpool, despite them being top of the table. They’re playing amazing football, coached well, and have many threats going forward with top-quality players. It will be an incredibly difficult game. They are massive favorites, but we believe we can compete with anyone and have a chance to win.”EP
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