Referee and VAR confirmed for Everton v Brighton
Simon Hooper will referee Everton v Brighton on the opening day of the 2024-25 Premier League season – 15 months after he oversaw the Toffees’ 5-1 win at the Amex.
Unfortunately for the Albion, no blame could be laid at the door of Mr Hooper for that shambles of an evening. Brighton were naively caught on the break five times by Everton, who saw both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dwight McNeil score twice.
Doucoure set the tone when putting the Toffees ahead inside of 60 seconds. The half hour mark brought Doucoure his second, followed four minutes later by a Jason Steele own goal adding to the comedy.
Going in 3-0 at half time meant the game was done and dusted. Roberto De Zerbi made four changes at the break and although the Albion were slightly improved, McNeil added goals four and five either side of an Alexis Mac Allister consolation.
The result left Brighton’s hopes of qualifying for Europe hanging by a thread. Six days later though and the Seagulls got back on track, winning 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium to all-but end Arsenal’s dreams of winning the Premier League.
Even by the Albion’s high standards of veering from the ridiculous to sublime, going from a 5-1 home defeat against relegation threatened visitors to a 3-0 win away at a side in the title race was total madness.
Whilst that game with Mr Hooper in charge may have ended in disaster, Brighton have since gone unbeaten in the three subsequent matches he has been in the middle for.
Arijanet Muric scored a magnificent own goal when the Albion drew 1-1 at Burnley in April. Mr Hooper waved away what appeared a pretty clear cut Clarets penalty when Pervis Estupinan produced a clumsy tackle on Wilson Odobert in the first half.
Mr Hooper also oversaw Brighton 4-1 Crystal Palace and November’s 1-1 draw with Burnley at the Amex.
He showed only three red cards in 2023-24 and has not sent a player off for 25 matches, meaning it is probably worth sticking a fiver on a Lewis Dunk dismissal.
VAR for Everton v Brighton will be Darren England, who the Albion do not have a particularly good record with either as referee or when watching from Stockley Park.
Brighton have lost their both their previous games in which Mr England has been on video duty, although he managed to avoid any sort of controversy.
Which is more than can be said for when he showed De Zerbi a red card in the tunnel after Fulham won 1-0 at the Amex in February 2023.
“I think he’s not a good level of referee,” De Zerbi said of Mr England afterwards. “But I think the referees in the Premier League are not enough for this very important league.”
Fingers crossed neither Mr Hooper nor Mr England feel a similar level of wrath from Fabian Hurzeler come 5pm on Saturday.
