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Referee who prompted Virgil van Dijk ban and £100,00 fine appointed for Liverpool vs Chelsea

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool reacts after being shown a red card by referee John Brooks during the Premier League match at Newcastle United on August 27 2023
-Credit: (Image: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)


Virgil van Dijk will once again come up against John Brooks after the official was appointed referee for Liverpool's mouthwatering Premier League showdown against Chelsea at Anfield this weekend. The Reds entertain the in-form Londoners on Sunday hoping to maintain their strong start to the season under Arne Slot that has seen them move a point clear at the top of the embryonic table.

Brooks caused a stir during the early stages of last season when he sent off Liverpool skipper Van Dijk before half-time in the Reds' 2-1 Premier League win at Newcastle United following a challenge on Alexander Isak.

Van Dijk's subsequent protestations towards referee Brook and fourth official Stuart Attwell saw him slapped with an additional one-game ban by the Football Association and fined £100,000 having admitted to the charge of behaving in an "improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official".

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Brooks has taken charge of six Liverpool games but none in the Premier League since the flashpoint at St James' Park.

Last season he was later the referee for the Reds' League Cup win at Bournemouth and the FA Cup third round triumph at Arsenal, games in which Van Dijk failed to feature. The centre-back, though, captained Liverpool the last time Brooks officiated a Reds match, the 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Manchester United back in March.

Michael Oliver will be the VAR on Sunday with Craig Pawson the fourth official.