Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has accused Simon Hooper of making a critical error in Newcastle United’s 3-2 defeat to Liverpool on Monday night. The game, which was already being heralded as a potential match of the season, was ultimately decided by 16-year-old Rio Ngumhoa’s debut goal in the 100th minute.
Even before kickoff, the transfer drama involving Alexander Isak dominated headlines. On the pitch, Newcastle had long periods of dominance over the champions, only for the balance to alter after Anthony Gordon was sent off immediately after Ryan Gravenberch’s opener.
Hugo Ekitike doubled the advantage just after halftime, but Liverpool was forced to dig themselves out of a hole, losing a two-goal lead for the second time this season before scoring another thrilling late winner. Watch the highlights below.
In a game with so much drama and flashpoints, it’s easy to overlook some of the action. However, Clattenburg, who has since had time to reflect on a match that Hooper clearly struggled to keep up with as he let some fouls go and punished others unfairly, has now spoken out on an incident that, in his opinion, should have also resulted in Liverpool being reduced to ten men.
Clattenburg claims that Ibrahima Konate should have been dismissed.
As 10-man Newcastle attempted to fight their way back into the game, Bruno Guimaraes sent Harvey Barnes through on goal. Ibrahima Konate bundled him to the ground before he could get to the ball. The Liverpool defender had already been booked in the first half but avoided extra punishment for the challenge.
Clattenburg stated in an exclusive interview with Geordie Boot Boys that referee Simon Hooper made a mistake by allowing the incident to go unnoticed because the Reds were still capable of winning later in the game. He stated (see the incident below):
“Ibrahima Konate was really lucky to escape with a blatant push in the back on Harvey Barnes. The well-placed referee, Simon Hooper, made the incorrect choice to not award a foul.
“To compound the wrong decision, this would have resulted in a second yellow card for stopping a promising attack as Barnes is breaking away towards the penalty area with a good potential to get to the ball before Konate.”
“The VAR cannot interfere with a second yellow card, so Newcastle needed the infield decision which did not come,” according to him. Instead, Guimaraes went into the book after passionately challenging Hooper’s call – or lack thereof – forcing him to negotiate the rest of the lengthy, arduous match on a disciplinary tightrope.
While no formal explanation has been provided for why the Frenchman did not receive a second booking, one may be found in the International Football Association Board’s [IFAB] guidance on assigning fouls. An revised threshold for the 2025/26 season has been given, as follows:
“The Premier League’s match referees will retain a high threshold for penalising challenges – not every contact is a foul – while preserving player safety. The new threshold will also be applied to handball violations.”
Despite Newcastle’s best efforts, their efforts came undone in stoppage time. In the tenth of eleven added minutes, every Liverpool player participated in a sweeping move that resulted in a stunning late winner.
The setback extended Newcastle’s Premier League losing streak against the Reds to 18 games, with their previous triumph dating back to 2015, when Gini Wijnaldum scored before moving to Anfield.
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