Newcastle United are taking on Liverpool in their first home game of the 2025/26 Premier League season on Monday.
After the goalless draw against Aston Villa, fans will be hoping that all three points can be taken at St James’ Park in their first home game of the Premier League season.
However, Newcastle United will have to do it the hard way, as they take on defending Premier League champions Liverpool in a game which has much more than the result riding on it.
There has been a lot of tension between the two sides this summer, with Alexander Isak’s transfer saga at the forefront. Isak is very keen on joining Liverpool, but Newcastle will accept nothing less than £150million for their star striker.
Additionally, Hugo Ekitike is set to play his first game at St James’ Park, having rejected a move to the Magpies three times over the last three years. Newcastle were interested in Ekitike this summer, but Liverpool were able to secure his signature.
With the game fast approaching, the Premier League has confirmed the refereeing appointments, and it will surely frustrate some Liverpool fans.
Simon Hooper during a Premier League game between Manchester United and Arsenal.
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Simon Hooper to referee Newcastle United vs Liverpool
There is no doubt the game will be full of drama, action and controversy, a nightmare for any official to handle.
In this case, Simon Hooper has the responsibility of keeping the two teams civil for the highly contested clash on Tyneside. It will be the first meeting between the two sides since the Carabao Cup final in March, so both teams will be eager to get one over on the other come Monday.
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Hooper has officiated 17 Premier League games involving Newcastle throughout his career, with the Magpies winning five, drawing five, and losing seven. The 43-year-old Hooper has shown 34 yellow cards in the games involving Newcastle, but never a red card.
The officials’ most recent game involving Newcastle was their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in May, where he had to break up a melee involving several players from each team.
Hooper also refereed Newcastle’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against the Gunners in February, where he received a chorus of boos for disallowing an Isak goal in the opening minutes.
Liverpool once had a controversial Simon Hooper decision go against them
Liverpool will want to pick up where they left off last Friday after they put four past Bournemouth on the opening evening of the season.
Newcastle did not find the back of the net against Villa, but showed great unity with a valiant performance in the Midlands.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, they were on the end of a controversial call from Hooper during their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in September 2023.
Curtis Jones was shown a straight red card after a VAR check for a foul, a decision which did not go down well with Jurgen Klopp.
“The red card for Curtis, everyone in here [at the news conference] probably thinks red card, but I played football and you didn’t,” Klopp said post-match.
“When you see it in slow motion, it looks horrendous, but in real time it doesn’t look bad. “The game is in real time, but we judge it in slow motion.”