Michael Oliver is not exactly a favourite among the Arsenal faithful right now, and there's some compelling data to back up their grievances. The Premier League referee found himself in the firing line after his contentious handling of the thrilling 2-2 draw between Arsenal and Manchester City last month.

John Stones' last-gasp equaliser in the 98th minute denied the Gunners their first victory at the Etihad Stadium in almost a decade, as well as a significant morale boost ahead of what looks set to be the third consecutive title race involving the two clubs. Arsenal were particularly incensed having played half the match with only 10 men following Leandro Trossard's debatable red card.

The Belgian was shown a second yellow by Oliver for kicking the ball away in an alleged attempt to delay the restart right on the stroke of half time, forcing Mikel Arteta into a drastic game-plan change. However, City weren't too pleased either, primarily because Arsenal's opening goal came after Oliver had summoned captain Kyle Walker for a chat, only to resume play before the defender had returned to his original position.

That said, when it comes to Oliver's refereeing, the stats suggest that Arsenal fans have more cause for complaint. Research compiled by Bonus Code Bets shows that, prior to the most recent round of matches, Oliver issued more red cards to Arsenal players than any other team in the Premier League.

He's sent seven Gunners players off in 53 matches, equating to an Arsenal red card in roughly 13% of all matches Oliver has officiated. Additionally, stats show an inclination to brandish yellow cards to Arsenal players at a rate above the norm, with the the Gunners averaging 1.77 bookings each game under Oliver's watch, as opposed to the typical 1.63 for all top-league encounters Oliver has refereed.

In stark contrast, Oliver has never given a Manchester City player a red card, despite refereeing them 47 times overall. Moreover, City players have found themselves cautioned with yellow cards just 1.36 times per match with Oliver at the helm.

It's the same story when it comes to regular fouls. City average fewer fouls per game (9.45) with Oliver in charge compared with Arsenal's 11.02, while the average across all the matches he has refereed is 10.85 fouls. Oliver also seems to award penalties against Arsenal (0.25 per game) more frequently than against City (0.17).

"Arsenal fans are well known for complaining about refereeing decisions not going their way, but our research suggests they may have a point here," a spokesperson from Bonus Code Bets said. "If no one remembered your birthday, make sure to show up at an Arsenal game that Michael Oliver is in charge of - there will be plenty of cards there!"

It follows news that Oliver, 39, has been relieved of his refereeing duties for this weekend's matches. Instead, he's been chosen as the VAR for Brentford's encounter with Wolves on Saturday.

In the aftermath of the City-Arsenal match, Oliver was appointed as the VAR for Chelsea's victory over Brighton last weekend. However, he did return to his refereeing role for Bournemouth's triumph over Southampton on Monday.

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