Newcastle United will make their way to Stamford Bridge, a venue that has not been kind to them, as they aim to break a long-standing winless streak that dates back to May 2011. The Magpies are desperate to end a disheartening run of four league matches without securing a victory. Compounding their struggles, Eddie Howe’s squad has gone nearly seven hours without finding the net in open play, a statistic that underlines their pressing need to rediscover their scoring touch.
As the match day approaches, Simon Hooper has been appointed as the referee for this crucial encounter. This will mark his first time officiating a Newcastle match in the ongoing 2024-25 season. Hooper, hailing from Swindon, previously took charge of Newcastle’s impressive 4-1 victory over Chelsea at St James’ Park in November of last year, a game notable for the sending off of Reece James, who received two yellow cards. Hooper has also overseen other significant matches for Newcastle, including their FA Cup defeat against Manchester City and a thrilling 4-2 win at Brentford that closed out last season.
Assisting Hooper will be linesmen Adrian Holmes and Simon Long, while Robert Jones serves as the fourth official. In the VAR booth, Jarred Gillett and Ian Hussin will monitor the action. Gillett was the center referee during a controversial Carabao Cup quarter-final encounter at Chelsea last December, where he faced criticism for his decision not to issue a straight red card to Moises Caicedo for a severe tackle on Anthony Gordon early in the match. Although Gillett did caution Caicedo, the absence of VAR in that match limited his ability to reassess the situation, leading to frustration from Howe. The Newcastle manager expressed his disappointment after the match, noting the severity of the challenge and its impact on Gordon, who ultimately had to leave the pitch due to injury.
“Anthony was sore; it was a horrible challenge on him,” Howe stated. “Having reviewed it, I am really disappointed with the tackle. He’s in pain, but we’re hopeful he’ll recover quickly.” Despite the setback, Newcastle managed to push the match to penalties, only to be eliminated by Chelsea, who triumphed 4-2 in the shootout after a dramatic contest that saw Callum Wilson open the scoring. However, a last-minute error from Kieran Trippier allowed Mykhailo Mudryk to equalize, illustrating the fine margins that often define such critical matches.
As Newcastle prepares for this latest clash at Stamford Bridge, they will be hoping to reverse their fortunes, put an end to their goal drought, and seize a much-needed victory that could ignite their season.