The Leeds Man United referee for Sunday: Darren England will take charge of Leeds United’s Premier League match against Manchester United at Elland Road.
The appointment is confirmed in the Premier League’s Matchweek 7 list and reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post. Peter Bankes will be the Video Assistant Referee.
Match officials team confirmed
The Leeds Man United referee team sees Scott Ledger and Matthew Wilkes assist England, with Andrew Kitchen appointed fourth official. Josh Smith is the Assistant VAR named in the league’s appointments.
The officials are set for Sunday’s meeting on 18 October. The announcement concerns the refereeing team, rather than either club’s playing squad. The league published its Matchweek 7 appointments on Monday.
- Referee: Darren England
- Assistants: Scott Ledger and Matthew Wilkes
- Fourth official: Andrew Kitchen
- VAR: Peter Bankes
- Assistant VAR: Josh Smith
England returns for an Elland Road fixture
The Leeds Man United referee has not taken charge of Leeds this season, the YEP reports. It identifies his previous Leeds appointment as the 3-1 home victory against Chelsea in December 2025.
England is also named as VAR for another Matchweek 7 fixture, while Kitchen has a separate VAR appointment in the same round. That is background to the appointment, not a guide to how Sunday’s game will be officiated. There is no basis in the announcement for predicting decisions or a particular disciplinary outcome.
Leeds Man United referee appointment adds to build-up
The Leeds Man United referee appointment adds to the build-up as Leeds return to Elland Road after a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal. James Justin put Daniel Farke’s side ahead before the hosts overturned the lead. Riccardo Calafiori equalised for Arsenal before substitute Bruno Guimaraes scored the winner, according to the YEP’s account of the game.
Manchester United drew 1-1 with Tottenham in their last Premier League match before losing 2-0 at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Both clubs therefore approach Sunday’s fixture looking for a stronger result. The referee announcement settles one part of the match preparations, with team selection remaining a separate matter.
Read our Arsenal Leeds match report for the Whites’ previous game. The appointments are published by the Premier League, with the Leeds fixture covered by the Yorkshire Evening Post.
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