Referee who left Virgil van Dijk furious appointed for Liverpool vs. Chelsea

The Premier League have confirmed the officials appointed for Liverpool vs. Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday, with John Brooks set to referee the clash.

Club Football returns this weekend with the Reds at home to in-form Chelsea in a 4.30pm kickoff on Sunday.

Ahead of the weekend’s fixtures, the Premier League have confirmed the officials who will take charge, with Brooks appointed referee for Liverpool vs. Chelsea.

Simon Bennett and Darren Cann are his assistants, while Craig Pawson will operate as fourth official.

Michael Oliver will be at Stockley Park as lead VAR, assisted by Stuart Burt.

It will be the first time Brooks has refereed a Liverpool Game since the 4-3 loss to Man United in the quarter-finals of last season’s FA Cup.

In total, he has been in charge of six Reds fixtures in the past, resulting in three wins, a draw and two defeats.

The most recent of those in the Premier League was the late 2-1 victory over Newcastle at St James’ Park, when Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score a match-winning brace.

That day saw Brooks show a straight red card to Virgil van Dijk for a last-man challenge on Alexander Isak, which left the Liverpool captain furious.

Van Dijk’s protests towards Brooks and later fourth official Pawson saw him receive an additional one-match ban and a £100,000 fine – among the worst-ever financial sanctions imposed by the FA.

Brooks warned Van Dijk to not “do anything silly,” and when the decision was confirmed by VAR the Dutchman told him it was a “fucking joke.”

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last nine meetings with Chelsea, though seven of those were draws – one of which left the Reds to win the FA Cup final in a penalty shootout.

They have won the last two clashes, however, with a 4-1 triumph at Anfield in the league followed by the 1-0 win in the Carabao Cup final in February.