English football referee Anthony Taylor is reportedly being recalled after he was recently “demoted” to the Championship. Taylor is undeniably, one of the most controversial on-pitch officials in the Premier League, with years of experience. He was assigned to a Championship match last weekend between Preston North End and Coventry City, and was widely regarded as being “demoted”. However, reports now suggest that Taylor will be back in the top flight league this weekend as he oversees the high-profile match between Chelsea and Manchester City on Sunday.
Match officiating referee Anthony Taylor – Getty image As usual, Taylor’s stint in the Championship was not without controversy, as he awarded Preston North End a penalty during the match, a decision that sparked reactions. Some fans criticized his decision, claiming that there was minimal contact that led to the penalty, which contributed to Preston’s 3-2 home victory. Meanwhile, Chelsea, fresh off a 4-1 win against Tottenham that ended their London rivals’ unbeaten streak, will host Manchester City, who currently lead the Premier League table this coming weekend.
England celebrates winning the Euro U21 title. Source: Getty The match at the Batumi Stadium in Georgia was a very tense affair that did not see many clear-cut chances for either side of the youngsters. The only goal of the game came in very scrappy circumstances at the very end of the first half. In the 49th minute, Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones was credited with turning in a free-kick that had been floated into the box. Seven yellow cards were handed out, and England coaching staff member Ashley Cole was sent off after England scored following a brawl that broke out on the side of the pitch. There were opportunities for Spain to get back into the game, with Abel Ruiz looking like a real danger at many opportunities. The likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Gordon were very important for England throughout the match. 
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League after losing 2-0 to Fulham on Saturday afternoon. They needed a win to have any chance of beating the drop but second-half goals from Carlos Vinicius and Aleksandar Mitrovic in his first outing since serving an eight-game ban, crushed their hope. 
The visitors took the lead in the 48th minute when Vinicius tapped home unmarked after Harrison Reed’s sliding challenge on Lyanco diverted the ball across goal. Mitrovic was a second-half substitute for Fulham on his return from an eight-game ban and just six minutes after his introduction, the Serbia striker rose to meet Harry Wilson’s cross to compound Southampton’s despair. This brings an end to Southampton’s 11 years in the Premier League. They included four successive top-eight finishes days under Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman. They had a widely admired setup and churned out talent for a carrion elite to feed off. 
When Southampton were last relegated from the Premier League in 2004/05, it took them seven years to win promotion back to the top flight. Championship football for the first time since 2012 looked a foregone conclusion after failure to beat Nottingham Forest last weekend. Fulham’s seventh away win of the Premier League season moves them up to ninth in the table and on track for a first top-half finish since 2012. 
Burnley were on Tuesday, April 25, crowned winners of the Championship title following a 1-0 derby-day victory over Blackburn Rovers. The Vincent Kompany-led team clinched an immediate return to the Premier League earlier this month by beating Middlesbrough, and they have now also sealed the top spot in the division. 
Burnley entered the game on Tuesday, nine points clear of second-placed Sheffield United, and they needed a win as the Blades still have four games left. Manuel Benson’s superb second-half strike during the match broke the deadlock for the Clarets in a feisty match that had a high tempo but saw both sides limited in clear-cut chances in front of goal. 
Tempers flared after the full-time whistle between some players and both benches, but things calmed down quickly so Burnley could celebrate in front of their 2,000 fans. Plymouth and Ipswich are both one win away from securing promotion to the Championship after victories on Tuesday. 
