There has been a lot of discussion about referees lately, especially in relation to Liverpool matches, following their intense Merseyside derby with Everton.
Michael Oliver, a referee from Northumberland, faced harsh criticism from Liverpool fans after a dramatic conclusion to the Goodison Park game, which saw Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucoure both sent off after the final whistle, followed quickly by Liverpool manager Arne Slot and coach Sipke Hulshoff.
Newcastle United will face Slot’s team in two key matches soon, including a Premier League game at Anfield next week and the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on March 16. Although the officials for the cup final are yet to be named, we now know who will be officiating the league match on Wednesday, February 26.
Veteran referee Chris Kavanagh has been assigned to the Anfield match. The 39-year-old, in his eighth season as a Premier League referee, will officiate for the fourth time in a Newcastle match this season, after overseeing their 2-1 Premier League win over Wolves, the 2-1 loss to Fulham, and a 2-0 Carabao Cup victory against Chelsea.
Now a Champions League referee, Kavanagh has only refereed Liverpool once this season, a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest. He also officiated last season’s Carabao Cup final, where Liverpool triumphed 1-0 over Chelsea in extra time.
The situation regarding whether Slot will be on the touchline at Anfield could soon be determined, as the Liverpool manager has until Wednesday, February 18 to respond to an FA charge following his red card at Goodison Park. If he is banned, it won’t take effect before Liverpool’s game against Manchester City next weekend, so he should be available to manage against Aston Villa in the meantime. However, having already served a one-match suspension for accumulating three yellow cards, Slot could miss several matches if the charge is upheld, potentially starting with the Newcastle game.
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