Match Officials Appointed: Nottingham Forest (A)

For Saturday's Premier League opener at the City Ground, match officials have been appointed for Nottingham Forest's clash against Aston Villa. Robert Jones, a Merseyside-based official, will be in charge for his eighth campaign in the top-flight. Jones has refereed 110 times in his career, including matches in the EFL, UEFA Champions League, Conference League, Europa League, and international fixtures. He oversaw a dramatic 3-3 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in his most recent assignment.

Jones will guide the match between Aston Villa, whom he has officiated 21 times, the majority of whom ended in a draw. Aston Villa has won nine and drawn six of those matches, while the Whites have claimed nine victories and drawn six. The other match officials appointed are Nick Greenhalgh and Alistair Nelson as assistant referees, Gavin Ward as fourth official, and Craig Pawson as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).