Everton are set to return to Premier League action this weekend, facing a struggling West Ham United side after suffering their first defeat in five games.
Sean Dyche’s men will be eager to bounce back after a disheartening loss to Southampton, who were rock bottom of the league prior to their 1-0 win over the Toffees.
Following that defeat, Jamie Carragher was vocal in his criticism of Ashley Young’s performance, though he noted that several Everton players failed to meet the mark on the day.
Now, the Merseyside club will be facing a West Ham side that, despite an impressive summer transfer window, sits only two points ahead of Everton in the table.
However, some Everton supporters may already be feeling uneasy ahead of the weekend, following the Premier League’s announcement of Stuart Attwell as the match referee.
Attwell, who is set to take charge as Everton head to the capital, is a familiar face for the Toffees, and not necessarily one associated with positive memories.
The officiating team for the fixture includes:
Stuart Attwell – Referee
Constantine Hatzidakis & Wade Smith – Linesmen
Tim Robinson – Fourth official
Darren England – VAR
Attwell has officiated 28 Everton games, second only to Wolverhampton Wanderers in his career.
Dyche already had words for the officials last weekend after Everton’s loss to Ipswich, suggesting Jan Bednarek should have been shown a red card.
Everton were arguably fortunate themselves as James Tarkowski escaped a dismissal for a rash challenge, but facing Attwell this weekend brings back memories of previous controversies.
Back in 2022, during the Merseyside Derby at Anfield, Attwell denied Everton a penalty with the game at 0-0 after Joel Matip’s challenge.
Frank Lampard, then Everton manager, was scathing in his post-match assessment, hinting at possible bias in favour of Liverpool.
“I think they both could have been penalties but you often don’t get them at Anfield. The fact there’s contact and he gets booked is crazy,” Lampard told BBC Sport.
“The second one was a foul [anywhere else] on the pitch. Sometimes you don’t get them here.”
Lampard added: “They [Liverpool] are in a different area to us. They’re near the top of the table, they’ve been together a long time and have a strong style of play. We had to be organised and disciplined. I couldn’t ask for more at half-time except taking our chances.”
As Everton prepare to face West Ham, the choice of Attwell as referee could already feel like a setback for a Toffees side hoping to claw their way up the table against another side struggling for form.
The game promises to be a tense affair, with both clubs desperate for points to avoid further entanglement in the relegation battle.