Who is the referee and VAR for Tottenham vs. Arsenal? Past controversies and both teams' records ahead of North London derby

In his first game as Tottenham Hotspur manager, Igor Tudor can immediately endear himself to the Spurs faithful by putting another dent in Arsenal's Premier League title aspirations.

The Gunners have won just two of their last six Premier League games after Wednesday's calamitous 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers, although their hosts are the only team without an English top-flight victory since the turn of the year.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the referee and VAR appointments for Sunday's North London derby.

Tottenham vs. Arsenal: Peter Bankes to referee North London derby

Lancashire-born Peter Bankes has been confirmed as the referee for Sunday's blockbuster showdown between Tottenham and Arsenal.

A FIFA-listed referee since 2021, Bankes has taken charge of 18 Premier League games already this season and has brandished 73 yellow cards - an average of just over four per match.

Bankes has also dished out three red cards - including one for two bookable offences - and awarded five penalty kicks in the current top-flight campaign.

Peter Bankes's record and past controversies in Arsenal matches

Arsenal fans had little reason to fret when Bankes was confirmed as the referee for Sunday's blockbuster, as their record with the 1982-born official in charge makes for pleasant reading.

Indeed, Mikel Arteta's men have won nine, drawn one and lost three of their 13 games with Bankes in the middle, and two of those losses came against Southampton - one in the FA Cup and one in the league.

Bankes's most recent Gunners game was their 1-0 win over Chelsea in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final, prior to which he also took charge of their 2-1 reverse to Aston Villa in December and 5-1 battering of Manchester City in February 2025.

Furthermore, Bankes has also only given out 12 yellow cards to Arsenal players, and no Gunner has been ejected from the field of play under Sunday's referee.

However, Bankes was the on-field official for Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brentford in February 2023, when the infamous Lee Mason offside incident took place.

Peter Bankes's record and past controversies in Tottenham matches

Tottenham's record with Bankes in charge will not trigger such optimism in Spurs fans' minds, as they have won just seven of their 16 games with the Englishman as referee.

Tottenham have also been held to four draws and suffered five losses with Bankes, who most recently officiated their 2-2 draw with Burnley in January.

The Lancashire native has also dished out a whopping 32 bookings to Spurs players in that time - including six in one game against Sheffield United in 2023 - but Tottenham are still yet to receive a red card under his wing.

However, ex-Lilywhites boss Jose Mourinho was left apoplectic by Banks in September 2020, when the official awarded Newcastle United a last-minute penalty for an Eric Dier handball, allowing Callum Wilson to nick a point.

A couple of years later, Bankes overturned a Tottenham spot kick against West Ham United following a check of the monitor, which led to a similar earful from then-boss Antonio Conte.

Darren England appointed VAR for Tottenham vs. Arsenal

Returning to the scene of the crime, Darren England will be on VAR duty for Tottenham vs. Arsenal this weekend.

One incident always springs to mind with England and Tottenham - the 'significant human error' that denied Liverpool a perfectly good goal in their 2-1 loss to the Lilywhites in 2023.

The 40-year-old has managed to steer clear of such high-profile controversies since, although he was the VAR for Manchester City's home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in January, where he recommended an on-field review for a potential penalty before referee Farai Hallam stuck with his original decision.