Kevin Friend will take charge of AFC Bournemouth’s clash with Manchester City at Vitality Stadium on Saturday – his 199th Premier League game as a referee.
The Leicester-based official has been a member of the Select Group since the 2009/10 season and has been in the middle for more than 500 matches in his career.
Friend refereed the Cherries’ top-flight opener against Cardiff in August and victories last season against Arsenal and Swansea at Vitality Stadium.
He took up refereeing as a 14-year-old and worked his way up through local football and the Midlands leagues before taking charge of games in the Football League.
Friend’s most notable honours so far include the 2012 FA Community Shield between Manchester City and Chelsea and the 2013 Capital One Cup final between Swansea City and Bradford City.
Friend, who has taken charge of 510 games during his career, will be assisted at Vitality Stadium by Matthew Wilkes and Adrian Holmes, while David Coote is fourth official.
