Sunderland and Newcastle to fume as Premier League announcement made ahead of Wear-Tyne derby
The Premier League have announced the officials for Sunderland’s clash with Newcastle.
Sunderland’s long-awaited clash with Newcastle is just days away, with preparations on both sides of the North East well underway.
Having escaped a booking in Sunderland’s 3-0 defeat to Man City last time out, both Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki will be available for the Black Cats.
That is a huge boost for Sunderland, but they have been dealt somewhat of a blow as the officials have been named for Sunday’s encounter at the Stadium of Light.
Peter Bankes named as official for Sunderland vs Newcastle
On the face of it, Peter Bankes is not a name that will strike too much concern for those supporting Sunderland, but his previous tendencies could ruin Sunday’s encounter after he was named as the referee.
So far this season, Bankes has officiated nine Premier League games, with 45 yellow cards dished out within those encounters.
It’s the third most cards brandished by a referee this season, with Chris Kavanagh and Stuart Attwell on 50 and 51 respectively.
It’s evident that Bankes is far from lenient with his decisions, and that could completely disrupt the flow of the game at the Stadium of Light if that is repeated.
To make matters worse, Attwell is the VAR operator on this occasion, having been involved in several controversial incidents in Sunderland’s latest defeat to Man City.
Attwell has had it out for Sunderland this season
Not only did Attwell fail to send Josko Gvardiol off for a poor challenge on Nordi Mukiele at the weekend, but he was also involved in controversy in Manchester earlier in the season.
In Sunderland’s defeat to Man United, Bertrand Traore was penalised for simulation, despite replays showing a clear foul on the Burkina Faso international.
Had Attwell made the right call, the Red Devils could have easily been reduced to ten men, giving the Black Cats a golden chance of taking three points from Old Trafford.
Given what is at stake in Sunderland‘s clash with Newcastle, there is no room for poor decisions, and the game must be treated as a derby by the officials.
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