- West Ham United travel to St James’ Park as they face Newcastle United on Sunday
- The Hammers are two points from safety
- Newcastle are 13th in the Premier League
On Sunday afternoon, West Ham United visit Newcastle at St James’ Park in a game that is simply a must-win. The Hammers’ VAR-fuelled loss to Arsenal last weekend keeps them in the bottom three, two points below Tottenham Hotspur, who occupy the final safety position.
Newcastle are 13th in the league, with no chance of relegation or European qualification, but Eddie Howe’s side can play a significant part in the league’s defining storyline.
A win on Tyneside would put West Ham ahead of Spurs, who have a rescheduled match against Chelsea for next Tuesday due to their involvement in the FA Cup final. However, a loss would allow Spurs to clinch survival at Stamford Bridge. West Ham must beat Newcastle to ensure the fight goes to the final day on May 24th.
Match Officials
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Assistant Referees: Neil Davies & Scott Ledger
Fourth Official: Lewis Smith
VAR: Craig Pawson
Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton
Gillett will referee Sunday’s Premier League game at St James’ Park.
The 39-year-old was upgraded to the Select Group referees list ahead of the 2021/22 season, having proven himself in his home country, Australia, before joining Select Group 2 in England in 2019.
Gillett, a Queensland native who has refereed over 150 games in English football, became the first person born outside of the British Isles to referee a Premier League match when he took command of Newcastle United’s 1-1 draw against Watford in September 2021.
In the 2025/26 season, the Australian officiated 21 matches in the English Premier League, the EFL Championship, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and Brazil’s November international friendly against Senegal.
This will be the tenth time Gillet has been assigned a Hammers game and the fourth of this season, following a recent home victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in April.
Gillett will be supported by Scott Ledger and Neil Davies. Ledger has run the line in 348 Premier League matches since 2014, and Davies has officiated 216 Premier League matches since 2018/19.
Whilst Lewis Smith, the fourth official, recently officiated West Ham’s FA Cup fourth-round clash against Burton Albion in February.
VAR
Craig Pawson will oversee VAR responsibilities. The Sheffield native has been a Premier League referee since 2013, and has previously refereed the EFL and FA Cup finals.
Nick Hopton will join Pawson in the VAR booth, as the former did for the Hammers’ home games against Crystal Palace and Liverpool this season.
