Salah and Slot will be devastated after the Carabao Cup final referee is confirmed.

Liverpool fans are unlikely to be pleased with any referee appointment for their matches, but Arne Slot and Mo Salah may be particularly frustrated by the latest announcement.

This month, the Reds will compete in the Carabao Cup final, and it has now been confirmed (via efl.com) that John Brooks will officiate the match.

Brooks was the referee who failed to penalize two clear fouls on Mo Salah during Liverpool’s game against Chelsea at Anfield earlier this season—incidents that occurred back-to-back. Instead of booking Levi Colwill and awarding Liverpool a penalty, both challenges were inexplicably overlooked.

In the same match, head coach Arne Slot was visibly furious when a foul was given against Darwin Núñez—an outburst that quickly became a meme and was one of the first signs of his frustration with English officiating.

Slot is unlikely to be happy seeing John Brooks in charge again.

The full officiating team for the final includes Assistant Referees Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh, Fourth Official Darren England, Reserve Assistant Referee Steve Meredith, VAR Stuart Attwell, and AVAR Sian Massey-Ellis.

Given the perceived inconsistency of refereeing decisions, it’s hard to be confident in any official. Liverpool will need to beat Newcastle convincingly, possibly even anticipating a costly mistake, meaning they should aim to build a comfortable lead.

Before the final, the team faces two Champions League fixtures and a match against Southampton, but the Wembley showdown is likely to be the marquee event in March.

Hopefully, Liverpool can secure statement victories in all four matches and maintain momentum across three competitions.