- West Ham host Arsenal in the Premier League this Sunday
- The Hammers are one point from safety
- The Gunners are chasing the title this season and are currently four points clear
West Ham United host Arsenal in a must-not-lose fixture on Sunday afternoon. The Hammers loss to Brentford last weekend has seen them drop into the bottom three, one point behind Tottenham Hotspur and safety.
The Gunners are on the cusp of the Premier League title, and their trip to the London Stadium is arguably their hardest matchup of the last three games. The last thing Mikel Arteta’s men will want to do is slip up, no matter how desperate West Ham are for points.
Match Officials
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh
Assistant Referees: Dan Cook & Ian Hussin
Fourth Official: James Bell
VAR: Darren England
Assistant VAR: Akil Howson
Chris Kavanagh will take charge of West Ham’s match with Arsenal this Sunday.
Kavanagh began his refereeing career at the age of just 13 and began doing so professionally in 2012. He began working in the football league two years later before joining the Premier League in 2017, where he has gone on to officiate 191 games.
The 40-year-old’s first West Ham appointment came in 2018, when the Hammers lost in the FA Cup fourth round to Wigan Athletic.
Kavanagh has refereed West Ham on 24 occasions, most recently taking charge of the Irons home game with Fulham in December.
Elsewhere, he has also refereed several playoff finals, the Carabao Cup final and last year’s Community Shield.
Kavanagh will be assisted by Dan Cook and Ian Hussin.
Cook has run the line in 252 Premier League games whilst Hussin has assisted in 289 top flight matches.
James Bell will serve as the fourth official.
Bell is a regular in the EFL and took charge of the National League final between Notts County and Harrogate Town in 2020.
VAR
VAR duties will be led by Darren England, who will also take charge of this year’s FA Cup final in the following week.
England has been a referee in the Premier League since 2012 and is now in the top group for FIFA and UEFA.
Akil Howson will assist England in the VAR booth and will also join him for the FA Cup final.
