Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Fri 24 April 2026 13:04, UK

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Nuno Espirito Santo will hope to see West Ham United take a massive step towards Premier League safety by beating Everton on Saturday.

David Moyes’ side represent a dangerous opposition, however, having emerged among the best teams on the road this season.

Everton will be looking for their eighth Premier League win away when they travel to the London Stadium, with only Arsenal and Manchester City having won more this season.

The Toffees remain in the search for European football, but took a hit when they conceded a late Virgil van Dijk header in last week’s Merseyside derby loss to Liverpool.

West Ham’s form has been inconsistent in recent weeks, but victory on Saturday could hand them a five-point buffer to the relegation zone if results elsewhere follow suit.

West Ham do not perform well when officiated by Stuart Attwell

Leicester City were relegated to League One this week, showcasing a glimpse of what the future could hold for West Ham.

Each and every one of their remaining five games is vitally important for the club’s future, and Nuno will attempt to eke out every possible advantage.

With that in mind, the Portuguese manager will be concerned with the appointment of Stuart Attwell as referee for Saturday’s clash.

The 43-year-old has overseen just one Premier League game involving West Ham this season – October’s 2-1 loss to Leeds United.

But that is not the extent of the concern. The Hammers are without a win in their previous six games officiated by Attwell, losing five of them.

Of the 25 total games that he has officiated involving West Ham, just seven have been won by the Irons.

Attwell is common to West Ham vs Everton

Interestingly, Attwell has officiated this exact fixture on several occasions throughout his refereeing career. Bizarrely, not a single one of them has ended in a score draw.

The first time was in 2021, when he oversaw a 1-0 loss at the London Stadium for West Ham, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin providing the difference.

It was the reverse fixture in the following season, with the away team again winning 1-0 through Angelo Ogbonna this time.

Attwell refereed another West Ham win over Everton in 2023, with a Jarrod Bowen brace securing a 2-0 win for the home side.

Later that year was a complete repeat of the 2021 result, with Calvert-Lewin scoring in a 1-0 Everton win at the London Stadium.

Attwell finally oversaw a draw between the sides last season in London. Both sides will be hoping that result is not repeated this year.