Simon Hooper will referee Newcastle United's clash against Liverpool on Monday night.placeholder image
Simon Hooper will referee Newcastle United's clash against Liverpool on Monday night. | Getty Images
Newcastle United v Liverpool: A spicy Premier League encounter is expected at St James’ Park on Monday night amid a summer long Alexander Isak transfer saga.
Newcastle United and Liverpool meet at St James’ Park on Monday night in what is expected to be a ferocious encounter. The two clubs have been involved in a summer long transfer saga involving Alexander Isak with feelings between the two fanbases being inflamed on social media.
The Reds head to the north east with a mission to avenge their Carabao Cup final defeat to the Magpies in the last meeting between the sides. Newcastle United, meanwhile, haven’t defeated Liverpool in the Premier League in almost a decade and will be keen to make a mark in front of their own fans against a club that they have not only battled against on the field in recent seasons, but off the field as well.
Matches between Newcastle United and Liverpool are always hotly anticipated and St James’ Park is braced for what could be a special night.
Premier League confirm Newcastle United v Liverpool referee appointment
Hooper refereed Newcastle United on five occasions last season, overseeing their defeats on the road against Chelsea, Brentford and Arsenal. He also took charge of their 2-0 win at Old Trafford in December and, on his only appearance at St James’ Park, their 2-0 win over the Gunners in the second-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final meeting.
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The Wiltshire whistler was, infamously, involved in the controversial decision that saw a Liverpool goal ruled-out against Tottenham Hotspur back in September 2023. Luis Diaz’s strike was initially flagged as offside but a VAR review showed that the Colombian was onside.
However, miscommunication between the referee and those on duty at Stockley Park meant the game restarted with a Spurs free-kick instead of awarding the goal. Hooper also showed red cards to Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota that day as a stoppage time own goal from Joel Matip condemned the Reds to a 2-1 defeat.
Speaking about that game ahead of the reverse fixture at Anfield later that season, Jurgen Klopp said: “I don’t want to make it the biggest subject but I cannot forget the [last] Tottenham game as well, it was just so strange.
“Only the other night was the first time since Tottenham that Simon Hooper was standing next to me for 90 minutes in a game I didn’t enjoy in the first place against Everton. I tried to get it out of my head and couldn’t.
“Now we play Tottenham and that was obviously not their fault that night, they just played the game, but I would like to win that game for 500 reasons and that we lost there in the way we lost is one of them.”
Adrian Holmes and Simon Long will assist Hooper on Monday night, with Tony Harrington on Fourth Official duty. VAR will be operated by John Brooks at Stockley Park with Steve Meredith his assistant.
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