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The Premier League has confirmed the match officials for Newcastle United versus Liverpool this evening (kick-off 7:30pm).
Eddie Howe’s side welcome the runaway league leaders to St James’ Park hoping to earn a first win against them since December 2015. Howe, as Magpies boss, has lost all six matches against the Reds.
Overseeing the fixture is Andy Madley in what is his first Newcastle match since the 5-1 win over Aston Villa on the opening day of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign. By contrast, Madley officiated Liverpool five times last term and was recently the man in the middle for the 5-1 Carabao Cup win against West Ham United.
Callum Wilson is an admirer of the Arsenal man (Image: Getty Images)Callum Wilson is an admirer of the Arsenal man (Image: Getty Images)
Callum Wilson is an admirer of the Arsenal man (Image: Getty Images) | Getty Images
In his last league game, Madley was publicly criticised by Steve Cooper after he denied Leicester City a penalty in their 2-1 loss to Chelsea when Stephy Mavididi went down under a challenge from Wesley Fofana. Leicester did get a penalty deep into stoppage time, which Jordan Ayew scored, but that came after there was an original incorrect call for offside.
It proved to be Cooper’s final game in charge of the Foxes. He was sacked a day later and replaced by former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
"He gave offside for the second one and he was about half a yard on," Cooper told BBC Sport. "We've had a lot of bad luck with this referee this year. It's our third or fourth game with him and it's not been the best of times. It continued today.
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"The last thing [referees' body] PGMOL needed was that performance. He's got some big decisions massively wrong and in general a couple of advantages he blew up.
"I don't know if he lost concentration or composure but it's not what the referees needed in the first game live on TV [after the international break]. It's a pity. It's going to be all the talking points. I'm disappointed it's us on the wrong end of it."
Madley will be assisted by Wade Smith and Craig Taylor with Anthony Backhouse as fourth official. Stuart Attwell and James Mainwaring are on VAR duty.
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