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John Brooks | Getty Images
Wolves are back in Premier League action this weekend with an away trip to Craven Cottage to play Fulham
Wolves could do with getting something at Craven Cottage this weekend as they prepare to play Fulham. The Midlands outfit are yet to win in the Premier League so far this season. They find themselves in the drop zone along with Nottingham Forest and West Ham.
Pressure is starting to mount on Vitor Pereira as their poor league form continues. He was brought in as their replacement for Gary O’Neil last winter and he managed to keep them up in the last campaign. However, he faces an uphill battle if he is to achieve the same this time around.
Fulham vs Wolves referee decision made
The Premier League have confirmed that John Brooks will referee Wolves’ trip to Fulham on Saturday. Simon Bennett and Lee Betts are the assistant referees, with Dean Whitestone as the fourth official. Meanwhile, Andy Madley and Steve Meredith will be on VAR duties.
Brooks, 35, has been a referee in the top flight since 2021 after working his way up. He is from Leicestershire and is also a FIFA listed official. He was the man in the middle for the Carabao Cup final in March between Liverpool and Newcastle United.
He caused controversy with Wolves last term in their 2-1 loss against West Ham. O’Neil was the manager at the time and was left furious with both of Brooks’ decisions that led to the Hammers’ goals. After the game, he said: “Some of the decisions went against us as well in a big game. In a big game, in big moments, some decisions I thought were fairly straightforward end up going against us.
“It's crazy. Santi Bueno is going to head the ball away, so it's irrelevant (that the VAR said it's a new phase of play) as we'd have cleared the ball. It's a blatant foul on Santi Bueno and there's no way it's a difference phase. The ball is still in the same area. They will find reasons, and of course they will, and I get there will be grey areas and the wording of the rule can be interpreted in many different ways. But that's a blatant foul on Bueno in the seconds before the goal. That's a blatant foul.”
How did the Premier League respond to Gary O’Neil’s comments?
The Premier League jumped to the defence of Brooks after O’Neil’s comments. On West Ham’s first goal, they explained ‘The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge by Emerson on Guedes was checked and confirmed by VAR, deeming that the contact was outside the box’, whilst on the Hammers’ second, they said 'The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge by Mavropanos on Bellegarde was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed the referee’s call was not clear and obviously wrong.'
Pereira was handed a three-year deal only last month running until 2028. However, he will be feeling the heat the moment and the hierarchy will have a decision to make regarding his situation if they can’t claw themselves away from danger. Their upcoming opponents Fulham are positioned in 17th and haven’t made the start they would have wanted to this season under Marco Silva.
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