The referee for Newcastle United’s FA Cup quarterfinal match against Manchester City this weekend has been decided.
Newcastle, like every other Premier League team, has suffered from a number of poor choices this season, but they have also benefited from a few.
Newcastle will need every bit of luck they can get against City, and they will be hoping that Simon Hooper, who has been appointed as the game’s referee, does not make any controversial decisions on Saturday.
Hooper has dished out two reds in his last two Newcastle games
Simon Hooper has only overseen two Newcastle games in the last month, both of which resulted in four points for the Geordies, but the opposition received a red card.
The most recent match he oversaw was Newcastle’s 4-1 defeat of Chelsea in November, during which Reece James was awarded a second yellow card for an evident hold on Anthony Gordon, and even the defender couldn’t argue.
The game before that was against Leeds at the conclusion of last season, when Newcastle were still chasing a Champions League spot but were beaten to a 2-2 draw in which Junior Firpo received his second yellow card in the 90th minute.
Newcastle will be praying that this pattern continues this weekend and that Man City receives a red card during the FA Cup fixture, as they know it’s difficult enough playing against 11.
Newcastle face impossible task against City
Newcastle travels to the Etihad Stadium looking to return to Wembley and reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2005, when they were defeated 4-1 by Manchester United.
To accomplish so, they must overcome Manchester City in their own stadium for the first time since 2014, when they overcame the Citizens 2-0 in the Carabao Cup, thus it will be a difficult task for them.
After being eliminated from both the Champions League and the League Cup in December, this is Newcastle’s last chance to win a trophy this season, and there was a lot of anticipation before the draw.
That, paired with their most recent result, a bad defeat against an average Chelsea side, has caused a lot of pessimism on Tyneside, but the players will travel to Manchester full of confidence that they will finally bring some silverware back to the club.
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