We play our penultimate home game of the season on Saturday, Southampton making the trip to the Brentford Community Stadium. We're separated from The Saints by just goal difference in the Premier League table and the match officials have now been confirmed for the game.

Referee: Michael Salisbury

Assistant Referees: Lee Betts and Mark Scholes

Fourth Official: Jonathan Moss

Video Assistant Referee: Lee Mason

Additional Video Assistant Referee: Wade Smith

Michael Salisbury was one of four officials added to the Select Group 1 of top flight referees for the 2021/22 campaign. That promotion came just a year after he was added to the Select Group 2 of Sky Bet Championship officials.

Michael was influenced to take up the whistle by his father, Graham, who ended his own 21-year career as an EFL referee at the end of last season.

After progressing through his local leagues in Preston, Salisbury's first taste of the professional game came in 2010 as an Assistant Referee in the Football League. Five years later he was added to the National League referees list, a year before progressing to the EFL list.

Since then, Michael has officiated in eight different countries and visited Wembley Stadium six times, refereeing the Sky Bet League Two Play-Off Final in June 2020 which saw Charlie Goode and Northampton Town run out 4-0 winners against Exeter City.

Salisbury's three Brentford appointments so far have all ended in wins for Thomas Frank's side. They came courtesy of last November's 3-0 success at Luton Town and April's 1-0 home win over Rotherham United in the Sky Bet Championship, and October's Carabao Cup Fourth Round victory over Stoke City.

The Lancashire official was initially scheduled to take the away trip to Southampton back in December which was subsequently postponed due to Covid.

So far this campaign there have been 66 yellow cards and five reds handed out in Salisbury's 20 matches, two of which have come in the top flight.

Southampton 21/22

382 fouls - Third-most in Premier League

59 yellow cards - 9th in Premier League

2 red card - 4th-most in Premier League