Who is the referee for Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest? VAR and match official appointments plus records

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Arsenal make a return from the international break over the weekend when they take on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

The Gunners play host at the Emirates Stadium to an in-form side, which isn’t a word that can be used to describe Mikel Arteta’s team so far.

Arsenal’s previous win in the Premier League came against Southampton in early October, outlining the long wait to get back to winning ways.

It’ll be far from an easy clash though as Forest are flying high after an impressive start to the campaign.

Plenty of key decisions in the game for either side may rely on the referees to make huge calls that swing the result one way or the other.

So with that said, here’s a look at who is in charge of Arsenal’s clash with Nottingham Forest, from match officials to VAR.

• READ MORE: Every Premier League referee’s record against Arsenal for the 2024/25 season including results and cards

Who is the referee for Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest?

The Premier League have announced that Simon Hooper will be the referee for Arsenal’s clash with Nottingham Forest.

So far this season, he has taken charge of five Premier League games and three Championship games, handing out 44 yellow cards and one red card.

Simon Hooper’s record vs Arsenal

Arsenal have been officiated by Hooper seven times in his career, with a relatively favourable record so far.

The Gunners have picked up just six yellow cards in those games, with no red cards or penalty kicks awarded.

Simon Hooper’s record vs Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest are the side that Hooper has officiated the fifth-most in his career, taking charge of 24 of their games.

In those 24 matches, Forest have picked up 49 yellow cards and one red card, while being awarded four penalties.

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Arsenal v Nottingham Forest VAR and match officials

With Hooper taking the whistle for Arsenal’s match, he will be joined by Adrian Holmes and Simon Long as his assistants running the line – Dean Whitestone will be the fourth official.

In the VAR booth, Darren England will be the main official, while Marc Perry will be the assistant in the booth.