ARSENAL welcome Premier League rivals Newcastle United to the Emirates for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final TONIGHT.
The Gunners will be looking to go into February’s return leg in the North East with a healthy advantage.
But the Magpies arrive in the capital on a superb run of form after six straight wins in all competitions.
Toon boss Eddie Howe will know the huge opportunity his side has to end Newcastle’s near 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy this season.
Mikel Arteta will see the competition as an opportunity to add to his slim trophy cabinet from his Arsenal tenure.
The Gunners have been one of the best teams in Europe under the Spaniard, but they have won just the 2020 FA Cup since he arrived in North London.
History will be made during tonight’s blockbuster Carabao Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Newcastle, with VAR trialling in-stadium announcements this evening.
VAR has not been in use for any Carabao Cup matches this season.
However, it will feature in this week’s semi-finals – and for the first time in the English domestic game, in-stadium VAR announcements will be trialled.
This means the crowd inside the stadium and fans watching at home on the TV will be able to hear referees announce final decisions after they have been advised to go to the pitchside monitor.
That said, it will not be the case for decisions made not using the monitor.
A referee announcing decisions to the crowd isn’t totally new to the world of football, as it was trialled at the Women’s World Cup in 2023.
But it has never been in operation during an English football match until this week.
A statement from the PGMOL, the referees’ body, said: “Referees will announce the final decision following a visit to the VAR pitchside monitor or upon the conclusion of factual matters, such as accidental handball by a goalscorer or offside offences where the attacker touches the ball.”
The referee who will take charge of the historic match at the Emirates is John Brooks.
John Brooks will referee tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg between Arsenal and Newcastle.
Brooks is a football referee from the UK, who has risen up the ranks at a relatively young age.
He was born in 1990, and is from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire.
Brooks began refereeing in 2004, and the majority of matches he has officiated in his career have been in the Championship.
He officiated his first Premier League game in December 2021, with Brooks in charge of Wolves vs Burnley at Molineux.
He has been in charge of 54 top-flight games, with nine coming this season.
