Referee Simon Hooper will evoke unpleasant memories for Albion fans as he officiates their Premier League match against Manchester City this Saturday.
It will be the first time Hooper has refereed a Brighton game since their heavy 7-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest last February.
On that occasion, Fabian Hurzeler’s side was poor, but they were also on the receiving end of several questionable decisions. Hooper awarded a controversial penalty against Tariq Lamptey and failed to spot a possible handball in the second half. Brighton also had a strong case for a penalty denied after a challenge on Danny Welbeck.
However, Brighton fared better in the two other matches Hooper officiated this season. On opening day, he refereed their 3-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park, and in January, Brighton won 4-0 against Norwich City in the FA Cup at Carrow Road.
Against Everton, Hooper booked James Milner of Brighton, sent off Everton’s Ashley Young, and cautioned James Tarkowski. At Carrow Road, he issued no yellow cards, but at Forest, he booked Welbeck, Jack Hinshelwood, and Bart Verbruggen.
Hooper has refereed 24 matches this season, issuing 108 yellow cards and two reds.
Since the heavy defeat at Forest, Brighton has gone on a six-match winning streak, climbing to seventh in the table and just one point behind the Champions League spots. They are also in the FA Cup quarter-finals, where they could seek revenge against Nottingham Forest.
A positive result against Manchester City at the Etihad would give Brighton a significant boost in their European ambitions.
Referee: Simon Hooper. Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Simon Long. Fourth official: Anthony Taylor. VAR: James Bell. Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton.
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