Brooks to referee Magpies' Arsenal clash

The Magpies face Mikel Arteta's men at St. James' Park hoping to put an end to their five-game winless run in the league, and the 34-year-old has been appointed to oversee the fixture.

One of the younger referees currently operating in the top flight, Leicestershire-born Brooks has been a Premier League official since the start of the 2021/22 campaign. His first game in the division saw him oversee Wolves' home game against Burnley at Molineux in December 2021.

Brooks - who officiated in the EFL before his promotion - now takes charge of European fixtures as well, and was in the middle for Ajax's 4-0 Europa league victory over Besiktas earlier this term.

The visit of the Gunners will be Brooks' first appointment involving Newcastle since the Magpies' 3-2 defeat at Chelsea in March 2024. Last season, he refereed three United games, including that one. The others were the 2-1 home defeat to Liverpool and the 3-1 win at Aston Villa.

2023/24 stats

Games (all competitions): 35

Yellow cards issued: 148

Red cards issued: 6

Assistants

Assistant referees: Simon Bennett and Dan Robathan

Fourth official: Darren Bond

VAR: Jarred Gillett

Assistant VAR: Darren Cann