The 40-year-old officiated the fourth-round tie at Villa Park, where he and assistant referee Nick Greenhalgh were involved in several questionable decisions. The first controversy arose just 14 minutes into the game when Tammy Abraham scored, despite a Villa player being in an offside position during the build-up.
While Kavanagh correctly sent off Newcastle goalkeeper Marco Bizot for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity, he failed to dismiss Lucas Digne for a dangerous shin-high challenge on Jacob Murphy.
Digne was also involved in another contentious incident when Kavanagh awarded a free-kick for a handball that clearly occurred inside the penalty area.
Following the match, both Kavanagh and Greenhalgh were given the following weekend off. However, Kavanagh did officiate the Europa Conference League play-off between Kosovo champions FC Drita and Slovenian side NK Celje just days later.
The Premier League has now confirmed Kavanagh’s return for Gameweek 28, with the referee set to oversee Crystal Palace’s visit to Old Trafford. He will be supported on the pitch by linesmen Dan Cook and Ian Hussin, with Sam Barrott as the fourth official. Tony Harrington will head VAR operations from Stockley Park, assisted by Neil Davies. Greenhalgh, meanwhile, will not return to Premier League duty and will instead officiate Bristol City’s Championship match against Watford at Ashton Gate on Friday.
Gameweek 29 officials have also been announced. Kavanagh will referee Arsenal’s away fixture at Brighton, while Greenhalgh continues to miss top-flight matches. Friday’s clash between Villa and Wolves at Molineux will be officiated by Craig Pawson.
Unai Emery will be hoping to maintain Aston Villa’s third-place position in the Premier League during the Midlands derby at 8pm. With 11 matches remaining in the 2025/26 season and 10 points behind leaders Arsenal, Villa’s title hopes look slim. However, with Manchester City just five points ahead, the Villans could target a historic second-place finish if they defeat Rob Edwards’ struggling Wolves side.
Wolves enter the match having won only one game this season, sitting 20th in the league and facing a looming relegation threat. But after holding Arsenal to a 2-2 draw last week, Villa must remain cautious as anything could happen in this clash.
