Newcastle United supporters won’t be happy with Premier League decision ahead of Brighton game

Newcastle United make the long trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday in what is their penultimate away game of the 2024-25 Premier League season.

Champions League qualification, i.e. a top five finish, is the aim and with only four games of the campaign remaining, Newcastle find themselves in a strong position, currently sitting third in the league table.

However, with just two points separating third and sixth, Eddie Howe’s side know any potential slip up could prove costly. And United will hope to avoid that at a ground they haven’t performed too well at in recent memory.

Newcastle’s 2-1 win at the Amex Stadium during the 2016-17 Championship promotion season is their only win there in 10 visits. There have been four draws while the other five ended in defeats.

But it isn’t just on the South Coast where the Magpies’ record is poor. Brighton have twice visited St James’ Park this season and won both times - 1-0 in the Premier League and 2-1 in the FA Cup fifth round.

Premier League confirm match officials for Brighton vs Newcastle United

The Premier League has assigned Craig Pawson as referee. Does that ring a bell, Newcastle fans? If yes, then let us tell you why, if you needed reminding.

Pawson was the man in the middle for the Magpies’ 1-0 win over Southampton on the opening day of the Premier League season, where he infamously sent off Fabian Schar, who as a result served a three-match ban, for a supposed headbutt on Ben Brereton Diaz.

The Saints attacker barged into Schar, despite Pawson stopping play for a free-kick. Schar reacted by squaring up to Brereton Diaz, who quickly flung himself to the ground.

Pawson pulled out a red card and VAR agreed with the on-field decision, despite replays showing the contact was minimal. Newcastle played over an hour with 10 men but Joelinton managed to snatch a winner.

Newcastle boss Eddie admitted he thought the decision was “harsh” while former United head coach Graeme Souness didn’t hold back, accusing Brereton-Diaz of cheating.

“If we walked out on the street right now and asked 10 people who are football supporters (to name) the most frustrating thing in football, what would all 10 say?” Souness asked. “Simulation - cheating. Diaz cheated.I personally think the referee should go to the screen, look at it (again), send Diaz off and book Schar. He cheated! Schar put his head towards him, there was no action of headbutting.

“There was no action to say ‘I’m going to try and hurt you’. For me, Diaz threw himself to the ground - that is a red card. You're trying to deceive me, the people in the stadium and wider audience watching on the TV. You have to stamp that out. That’s the worst thing that frustrates supporters more than anything else.”

A couple months or so later, Pawson took charge of Newcastle’s visit to Everton and while his performance weighed more in United’s favour after he awarded them a penalty, which Anthony Gordon missed, and turned down Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s strong appeals for one, it does raise the fear of drama when Pawson is about.

That said, Pawson did oversee Newcastle’s 2-0 home defeat to West Ham United in November and that, for what it’s worth, was a low-key affair.

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