Newcastle United v Arsenal: Premier League Names Match Officials for Sunday Clash
The Premier League has announced the referee for Sunday’s eagerly anticipated match between Newcastle United and Arsenal at St James’ Park. The fixture between Eddie Howe’s Magpies and Mikel Arteta’s Gunners has grown increasingly competitive over recent seasons, with past encounters often played at a high intensity.
Their meeting at St James’ Park in November 2023 remains memorable, featuring several flashpoints involving Kai Havertz, Bruno Guimaraes, and Anthony Gordon’s controversial winning goal. While last season’s four meetings between the sides passed largely without incident, both teams will be eager to claim all three points and head into their midweek Champions League fixtures with momentum.
Newcastle have recorded only one Premier League win this season, albeit a 1-0 victory over Wolves at St James’ Park two weeks ago. Arsenal, meanwhile, have collected ten points from their first five league matches, including a late equalizer against Manchester City last weekend. With St James’ Park expected to be packed, the referee will need to manage the game effectively in what promises to be a charged atmosphere.
Gillett Appointed Referee
Jarred Gillett has been appointed to officiate Sunday’s match. This will be his first Newcastle game of the season; his last appearance involving the Magpies came in April at Villa Park, where they suffered a 4-1 defeat under Jason Tindall. That game saw Fabian Schar avoid a potential red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Gillett has already been involved in three Arsenal games this season—refereeing their win over Leeds United, acting as fourth official for their opening-day victory against Manchester United, and serving on VAR duties during their draw with Manchester City last weekend. While most of these matches passed without controversy, Arsenal fans may recall Gillett’s role in October last year when William Saliba’s yellow card against Bournemouth was upgraded to a red following VAR intervention, causing him to miss the following week’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
Assisting Gillett at St James’ Park will be Ian Hussin and Scott Ledger, with Anthony Taylor serving as fourth official. VAR duties will be handled by Darren England, assisted by Steve Meredith.
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