Referee Simon Hooper is set to take charge of Leeds United’s Premier League clash on Thursday night at Elland Road.
A huge three points are on the line for Jesse Marsch’s side against Aston Villa in Yorkshire as the battle at the bottom begins to heat up for the Whites.
Will Leeds win tonight?
Yes
No
Leeds currently sit just two points ahead of the drop zone but have played an extra game than 18th-placed Burnley and two more than Everton.
Along the sidelines will be linesmen Ian Hussin and Darren Cann, with Lee Mason taking on the role of VAR back at Stockley Park.
What do the stats say?
According to Transfermarkt, Hooper has taken charge of 14 Leeds games over his career, which have seen the Whites win half of those, with just four games ending in defeat.
The last time he refereed a Leeds game came just a few months ago when Marcelo Bielsa’s men took all three points from fellow relegation-battlers Watford.
And across the 14 games with Hooper on the pitch, there has not been a single red card shown to a Leeds player, however, 24 yellow cards have been shown.
However, it must also be noted the visitors have won their last two games with the 39-year-old holding the whistle but have not seen him take charge of a game since late last season (via Transfermarkt).
TIF Verdict…
The Yorkshire side will go into the game at Elland Road with Aston Villa likely to be the favourites after their emphatic 4-0 victory over Southampton at the weekend.
However, while the stats are probably unlikely to determine the outcome, ahead of such a critical game, if the fans are looking for a crumb of comfort, they may look at their recent record with Hooper in charge of their games with three straight victories and no losses in their last four (via Transfermarkt).
And their previous game against Steven Gerrard’s men just last month saw Leeds manage to earn a point out of a dramatic 3-3 draw at Villa Park.
In other news: ‘He was exasperated’ – Graham Smyth reveals Marsch had ‘deep conversation’ with Leeds ace