Tottenham will be delighted as Premier League make announcement ahead of Aston Villa clash
Tottenham will hope to make it consecutive Premier League victories when they welcome Aston Villa to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Several Tottenham stars have been on international duty over the break, but Thomas Frank will hope a healthy squad return for club action.
Mohammed Kudus is among the players to enjoy strong performances for their nations in recent days, with the winger continuing to be in sensational form.
The Ghana international scored as Tottenham beat Leeds United 2-1 before the break, but Sunday should provide a more difficult test.
Frank has never beaten Villa manager Unai Emery, with the five previous meetings between the managers ending in three wins for the Spaniard and two draws.
Simon Hooper appointed for Tottenham vs Aston Villa
The Premier League have announced that Simon Hooper will take charge of Sunday’s match, with Paul Tierney set to serve as the video assistant referee.
Among the league’s most experienced referees, Hooper has had his fair share of controversial moments over the years.
Most notably, the referee was on the pitch during the hugely controversial denial of Luis Diaz’s goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2023.
The winger raced through on goal and slotted into the bottom corner, but was flagged offside. The video assistant referee, believing the goal had been given, confirmed the decision, despite revealing that Diaz had been onside.
Of course, Hooper was none the wiser to what had happened, but the referee can take more responsibility for another controversial moment that happened just two months later.
With the scores locked at 3-3 in the final moments between Spurs and Manchester City, Erling Haaland retrieved the ball and shook off a late sliding tackle from Emerson Royal.
Hooper initially played the advantage, but inexplicably blew his whistle after the Norwegian had played Jack Grealish through on goal.
The Manchester City players surrounded the referee, but to no avail. The scores would end level.
Tottenham have struggled under Hooper in recent years
Hooper has often been accused of bias towards Spurs, led by both key moments, but the North London club have actually struggled under the referee in recent seasons.
In each of the last three occasions in which the official has overseen Spurs games, the Lilywhites have ended up on the losing side.
| Spurs matches refereed by Simon Hooper | Spurs wins | Draws | Spurs losses | Yellow cards to Spurs |
| 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 25 |
This season’s loss to Bournemouth was the latest, with losses also coming against the Cherries last season, and Arsenal.
In fact, Spurs have won just five of the 12 games they have played when officiated by Hooper, suggesting that the decisions may not necessarily go their way on Sunday.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Tottenham Hotspur news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @tottenhamnews247