Chelsea and Arsenal are set to go head-to-head in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup, and the EFL have appointed Simon Hooper.
Liam Rosenior has a great chance to secure a piece of silverware in his first season as Chelsea boss, following the success of Enzo Maresca in the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup.
But it won’t be easy as Arsenal head into this one off the back of an unbeaten run of nine games unbeaten in all competitions.
Finish our XI to face Arsenal!
Cole Palmer is struggling with a minor injury, but would you still risk him?
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After the 5-1 win over Charlton, Rosenior has several selection headaches. Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Estevao Willian all impressed.
One thing that is for certain is that Rosenior, despite the win against Charlton, needs to put on a good show for the Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge. It would be disastrous if reaching the final is out of reach after just the first leg of the EFL Carabao Cup semi-final.
However, Cole Palmer and Reece James’ availability is not yet known.
EFL appoints Simon Hooper as referee for Chelsea vs Arsenal
Referee and VAR appointments are becoming increasingly important nowadays, given the errors and issues that occur from match to match, which isn’t a great look.
And the EFL has announced Simon Hooper as the man in the middle for Chelsea vs Arsenal in the EFL Carabao Cup semi-final first leg clash at Stamford Bridge.
Simon Hooper announced for Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Arsenal 🗣️
What are your memories of him?
Simon Hooper announced for Chelsea vs Arsenal
Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
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Hooper’s assistants will be Adrian Holmes and Simon Long. The fourth official will be Andrew Kitchen, whilst Jarred Gillett is on VAR and his assistant is Timothy Wood.
Simon Hooper’s history with Chelsea
Hooper refereed the 2023/24 Premier League meeting at the Emirates, where Chelsea were destroyed 5-0 by Arsenal. The Blues weren’t great on the day, but fans may remember the referee’s lenient approach to Arsenal’s physical play that saw us bullied for large parts of the game.
There was also an issue earlier on this season against Brighton, as Hooper failed to be awarded Chelsea a clear penalty for a foul on Noni Madueke.
And for a Chelsea side that has already suffered with discipline issues this season, receiving seven red cards, having Hooper in the middle just doesn’t bode well.
Hooper is currently averaging 4.42 yellow cards per game, which is the third highest in the Premier League.
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