Chris Kavanagh has been appointed as the referee for West Ham United’s match against Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday, and it provides a very hopeful omen for the visitors.
Dan Cook and Sian Massey-Ellis are his assistants, with Darren Bond taking up fourth official duties and experienced Australian official Jarred Gillett taking charge of VAR.
Both sides will be vying to claim their first three points of the season, and the Hammers should be going into the clash full of confidence for a number of reasons.
READ WEST HAM’S VERDICT
Kavanagh was the referee in this fixture last season, and we all know how that ended.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side romped to a 4-1 win at Vicarage Road thanks to a Mark Noble double, added to by goals from Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic.
If team news is anything to go by, the Hammers are on the front foot once again. Noble, along with Pablo Fornals and Sebastien Haller are all set to return from injury and should be in contention to start.
Watford have lost their captain though, as Troy Deeney will be sidelined for several weeks following successful knee surgery. West Ham should be optimistic of a victory here.
