Manchester City v West Ham United
Premier League, Etihad Stadium, Saturday 4 January 2025, 3pm GMT
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Assistant Referees: Eddie Smart and Derek Eaton
Fourth Official: Oli Langford
VAR: Graham Scott
Assistant VAR: Scott Ledger
Michael Salisbury has been confirmed as the referee for West Ham United’s Premier League visit to Manchester City.
Salisbury has been part of the Select Group of Referees since the 2022/23 season and has held the whistle at four Premier League matches so far this campaign, most recently refereeing Crystal Palace’s 2-1 win over Southampton on 29 December.
The Lancashire-born official refereed West Ham’s first match of the 2023/24 campaign, away at AFC Bournemouth, and took charge of the Irons' 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest in November 2023 and the 2-1 victory away at Tottenham Hotspur just a few weeks later.
He most recently oversaw Video Assistant Referee duties in our home defeat to Arsenal in November, and then at Vitality Stadium in the 1-1 draw with AFC Bournemouth in December.
Eddie Smart and Derek Eaton have been named as the assistant referees for the enticing encounter at Etihad Stadium.
Smart has worked as an assistant in 14 Premier League matches this campaign, and appeared alongside Eaton when Bristol City beat Luton Town 1-0 in the EFL Championship on Boxing Day.
That clash at Ashton Gate was Eaton’s ninth outing this term, before he ran the line at Selhurst Park last weekend in Crystal Palace’s aforementioned 2-1 win over Southampton.
Oli Langford will work as the fourth official on Saturday.
Primarily involved in EFL competition, having taken charge of 14 Championship games this term, Langford refereed the most recent of two Hammers clashes against Cheltenham Town in the EFL Cup in 2017, while he served as the fourth official in the Irons' 3-1 win over Luton Town at London Stadium in May.
Finally, Graham Scott is set to look after Video Assistant Referee duties.
The 56-year-old from Oxford has been part of the Select Group of Referees since 2015, having taken up refereeing in the lower leagues in 1997.
He most recently officiated the Hammers in the Premier League back in April 2024, refereeing the Irons' defeat at Crystal Palace.
