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The referee for the Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Newcastle United has been confirmed.
The Carabao Cup final is now just days away and Liverpool will look to dust themselves off and defend their crown, following their disappointing exit from the Champions League on Tuesday.
Despite snagging a 1-0 win in France against the odds in the first leg, the Reds couldn’t capitalise on an Anfield advantage and Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in the next round after penalties.
The defeat sparked a lot of emotion within the team, which led to speculation from fans and professionals alike. A teary-eyed Mohamed Salah had many predicting this was his final European appearance for Liverpool.
However, despite the ongoing debate, there’s no time for the Reds to dwell on missed opportunities as they have the chance to secure their first trophy of the season this weekend.
Liverpool will take on Newcastle United at Wembley on Sunday and the team of officials to oversee the clash has been announced.
EFL confirm referee for Liverpool vs Newcastle in Carabao Cup final
John Brooks has been confirmed as the man to take charge of this Sunday’s final, which could rub some Liverpool fans up the wrong way. Brooks refereed the Reds’ clash with Newcastle back in 2023, when a late Darwin Nunez brace robbed the Magpies of all three points.
Despite their win, Liverpool had played more than an hour with ten men after Brooks sent Virgil van Dijk off for a foul on Alexander Isak in the first half. The defender was later charged by the FA for ‘acting in an improper manner’ when confronting Brooks following the red card decision.
“It's alleged that the defender acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official after being sent off in the 29th minute,” The FA said in a statement following the match.
The red card, which was for denying a goalscoring opportunity, was debated heavily on social media and in air. The likes of Gary Lineker and Jamie Carragher argued it wasn’t enough to warrant Van Dijk being sent down the tunnel, while Alan Shearer thought it was a fair call.
Brooks will be supported by assistant referees Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh this weekend, along with fourth official Darren England. Stuart Attwell and Sian Massey-Ellis have been named as VAR and assistant VAR respectively.
John Brooks record in charge of Liverpool
Brooks has taken charge of seven Liverpool games so far in his career and has dished out 18 yellow cards, one red and awarded two penalties to the Reds in that time. The last time the 35-year-old oversaw a Liverpool clash was during their 2-1 win over Chelsea back in October.
Brooks put seven players in the book during that match, including Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai, Darwin Nunez and Alexis Mac Allister. He also awarded a penalty to the Reds, which Salah dispatched in the first half to take the lead.
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