Premier League make Newcastle United official decision after 'horrible' Chelsea complaint

The Premier League match officials have been confirmed for Newcastle United's trip to face Chelsea on Monday (8pm kick-off). 

John Brooks will be the referee for the match at Stamford Bridge. Brooks' last match refereeing Newcastle was 3-1 win against Aston Villa at Villa Park in January.

That match went off largely without incident, unlike Brooks' previous match at St James' Park against Liverpool. Newcastle were beaten 2-1 by Liverpool back in August. The match saw Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk sent off for a foul on Alexander Isak after Anthony Gordon had given Newcastle the lead. Despite being down to 10 men, Jurgen Klopp's side mounted a late comeback with Darwin Nunez scoring twice to secure a 2-1 win.

On Brooks' decision to send Van Dijk off Klopp said: "There is no active contact from Virgil van Dijk. It is just going for the ball and on the way there, he made contact.

”For this contact, getting three games, oh my God, unbelievable.”

Van Dijk's reaction to the red card directed at Brooks saw him handed an additional one-match suspension and fine £100,000 after admitting he acted in an improper manner and used abusive and insulting words towards the match official.

Brooks will be assisted by Lee Betts and Neil Davies with Craig Pawson as fourth official. Jarred Gillett will be on VAR duty for the match, assisted by Adrian Holmes.

Gillett was referee for Newcastle's previous visit to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup which, coincidentally, didn't have VAR in place. The Australian referee allowed Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo to escape with a yellow card for an early challenge on Anthony Gordon that Magpies head coach Eddie Howe deemed 'horrible' after the match.

Newcastle lost the match on penalties following a stoppage-time equaliser from Mykhailo Mudryk.

The Magpies head into the game on the back of a 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last Saturday. Chelsea sit 11th in the Premier League table, four points behind Newcastle with a game in hand.

Newcastle's previous two visits to Stamford Bridge have ended 1-1 after 90 minutes but they haven't won a game away to Chelsea since Papiss Cisse's memorable brace in a 2-0 win back in 2012.