Richard Keys rages over Man City vs Arsenal referee decision with message to Howard Webb

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Richard Keys has lambasted PGMOL's decision to appoint Anthony Taylor as the referee to oversee Manchester City's match with Arsenal this weekend. The pair of Premier League titans do battle in a crucially important game come Sunday, April 19 - which could define who wins the league.

At the time of writing, the Gunners hold just a six-point lead on the Sky Blues, with City holding a valuable game in hand. Dubbed the 'game of the season' due to what is on the line, the PGMOL have put their faith in Taylor for proceedings given he is one of their most-trusted officials.

He will be assisted by Gary Beswick and Ian Hussin, with Paul Tierney taking up the role of fourth official. John Brooks and Stuart Burt, meanwhile, will be on VAR.

Despite his credentials, Keys has taken particular issue with Taylor's involvement in the game as a result of him hailing from Wythenshawe and living in Altrincham, just six miles away from Old Trafford. Writing in his latest blog , he said: "I do wish the PL had appointed a different ref for the game v City this weekend.

"They’ve named ‘Altrincham’s’ Anthony Taylor. Why do they stubbornly do this sort of thing? I’ll repeat what I always say - not for a minute do I think Taylor will make bad decisions on purpose, but what if…?

“What if he makes a big call and it’s wrong? Why put him under that kind of pressure? It’s Taylor I feel for. If you’re telling me we don’t have another ref good enough to handle the game of the season, then that’s a further indictment on Howard Webb and the PGMOL."

Keys' comments come despite Taylor pledging his allegiance to Altrincham, and therefore being unbiased to both Manchester City and Manchester United , as well as Arsenal for this weekend's encounter.

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On the flip side, Graham Scott has defended the PGMOL's decision to appoint Taylor for the match.

He told The Athletic : "Eyebrows are sometimes raised when he is appointed to a match involving either of the Manchester giants, given he lives within a few miles of both grounds.

"But his support for his home-town club Altrincham is genuine, not convenient, and he has no allegiance to either City or United."

Meanwhile, Grahame Rowley has also previously told the same publication: "Anthony has always been an Altrincham fan. Even now, he gets a season ticket every year, despite the fact he can't go to all the matches.

"People around here always ask if you're a Red or a Blue. He's actually a great advocate for non-League football and should be praised, not criticised."

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