Why Michael Oliver announcement is good news for Tottenham's clash vs Brentford
Roberto De Zerbi will be hoping that have a positive start to the campaign after spending around £230million in the transfer window.
The league announced the referees and their assistants for the first round of games on Monday.
James Mainwaring and Blake Antrobus will operate as assistants, with Sam Barrott as the fourth official.
John Brooks will serve as the video assistant referee, with Gary Beswick as his deputy in the control room.
Tottenham News examines Oliver's record when he has taken charge of the Lilywhites previously.
How have Tottenham fared under Michael Oliver?
Tottenham have an impressive record when Oliver, who is regarded as the best official in the division, is in charge.
They have played 56 times with him in the middle, winning 29 times, losing 16 games and drawing on 11 occasions, so the Premier League's announcement will be encouraging.
He has awarded a total of 98 yellow cards in total involving the N17 outfit.
A total of three red cards have been handed out by the 41-year-old in that time.
However, he has not been flawless when he has taken matches involving De Zerbi's side.
Has there been any controversies involving Tottenham?
Oliver has been involved in controversies involving Tottenham, most notably against Arsenal.
In the 2024-25 season, in a November 2025 clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs fans were unhappy with his decision making.
One of the Gunners' goals in the contest proved controversial due to a subjective offside call which went in Mikel Arteta's side's favour.
De Zerbi does not have a personal issue with him. He has previously said that he dislikes 80 per cent of referees, but has never had a spat with Oliver.
That was a general claim rather than being aimed at any particular official, probably because that would have landed him in hot water.
It remains to be seen how Oliver performs at the Gtech Stadium on 22 August, but the Italian will hope that he is not mentioned after the game.
If he is, that will likely mean that an incident has happened which has either went against his side, or in their favour, casting doubt on a potential victory.