Seamus Coleman: John Brooks Takes Everton vs Sunderland in Matchweek 37

seamus coleman is set to have John Brooks in the middle for Everton’s Premier League match against Sunderland in matchweek 37. Tony Harrington will handle VAR, and Everton go into the game needing three points to keep their European hopes alive.

John Brooks and Everton

The appointment matters because Brooks has been in charge of 15 Everton matches since 2018-2019, and Everton have won only once in that span. They have also gone 14 games without a win in matches he has overseen since the first one.

This season, Brooks has officiated 11 Premier League games. Across those matches, he has averaged 3.73 yellow cards per match, awarded a foul for every 0.65 tackle, and given 0.36 penalties per match.

Moyes after West Ham

David Moyes has already set the tone for how he wants the final two games handled. After Everton’s loss to West Ham, he said he wants limited influence from officials in the final two games after the handball decision involving Mateus Fernandes.

The decision was described as an obvious handball that did not go Everton’s way, and it came in the middle of a run where the club’s European qualification hopes are still alive but hanging by a thread. That leaves the Sunderland match loaded with pressure before a ball is kicked.

Sunderland at Goodison

For Everton, the practical target is simple: three points. Brooks’ appointment adds another layer to a match that already carries weight because of the table and because of what has happened in his previous Everton games.

Harrington’s presence on VAR adds the other official who will shape key decisions around the area Everton have been discussing all week. With home form described as woeful and no margin left in the chase for Europe, the club now has to play through the appointment rather than around it.