Referee set for first Newcastle appearance since ‘dreadful’ decision on Saturday against Arsenal

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For the second week in a row, Newcastle United are going to be refereed by someone completely new this season.

Michael Salisbury was in charge of the Magpies’ 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Saturday, and it was his first Toon match since 2022. It wasn’t a great afternoon for the official, while he was also involved in a lengthy VAR incident that went Newcastle’s way.

This weekend, Eddie Howe‘s side are off to the capital. They are facing Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium at 8pm on Saturday night, in what will likely be a feisty encounter. The reverse fixture at St James’ Park was certainly fierce, with Kai Havertz and Bruno Guimaraes lucky to escape red cards.

It was an incredibly intense game on Tyneside, and one that Newcastle won. Arsenal will be out for revenge, while the Gunners faithful will be well up for the occasion after what they felt was an injustice against them when Anthony Gordon scored the winner back in November.

Arsenal vs Newcastle United could be quite the battle, meaning it could be a tough game to referee.

Paul Tierney to referee Arsenal vs Newcastle United

That honour goes to Paul Tierney, who has not been in charge of any of Newcastle United’s fixtures this season. He has refereed Arsenal on two occasions, overseeing a 2-2 draw with Fulham and their recent 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.

When it comes to the Magpies, the last time Tierney was the man in the middle was a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground last season.

Alexander Isak scored a match-winning brace that night, but the game is probably best remembered for a goal that was disallowed.

Elliot Anderson thought he had scored his first ever Newcastle United goal, only for Tierney to chalk it off for offside after being instructed to take another look at the incident by VAR.

It was determined that Sean Longstaff was offside in the buildup, meaning the goal was not given. The decision was heartbreaking for Anderson, and branded as ‘dreadful‘ by former Toon goalkeeper Steve Harper.

Hopefully there are no similar decisions on Saturday night, in what could be a very tough game for Paul Tierney given what happened earlier this season.