Renowned referee Michael Oliver is set to take on VAR responsibilities following his recent involvement in a controversial incident during last Sunday’s North London derby.

In the match, which saw Tottenham Hotspur suffer a 2-3 defeat against Arsenal at their home ground, Oliver had to make a crucial decision when Declan Rice attempted to challenge for the ball but accidentally caught Ben Davies with his foot instead.

At first, the English referee waved away the possible penalty call despite having a clear view of the incident, leaving everyone shocked. But after being urged by the VAR officials, he took a moment to review the monitor.

After a quick check, Oliver then signalled for a penalty, a decision he should’ve made sooner.

The replay showed that Rice’s late challenge, clearly caught Davies on the back of the leg.

Tottenham captain, Son Heung-min, confidently converted the penalty, reducing the deficit to just one goal, a margin that stayed until the final whistle blew.

As reported by Daily Mail, looking ahead to the next match week, Michael Oliver’s name wasn’t listed as the primary referee for any fixture.

Instead, he is set to fulfil VAR duties during Brighton’s clash against Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.

This development sparked speculation among some observers, with suggestions that Oliver’s temporary change in role could be a consequence of his recent error.

However, it has come to light that Oliver’s assignment as a VAR official is due to his upcoming role as the referee for the UEFA Conference League semi-final match between Club Brugge and Fiorentina on Thursday.

Given the Premier League fixture scheduled just two days after the European tie, it is considered prudent for Michael Oliver to take up a position in the VAR room for this week.