Why West Ham and Jarrod Bowen will be fearful of Michael Salisbury appointment vs Southampton

West Ham United have learned that Michael Salisbury will officiate their clash with Southampton.

The Saints are set for a trip to the London Stadium for the first time since April 2025 on Saturday.

Both come into the clash in positive veins of form, with the Hammers currently just one point off Swansea City at the top of the table.

That gap has been severely cut after a win away at the Swansea.com Stadium last time out.

Nuno Espirito Santo will be keen to maintain his side's momentum in a return to East London.

Jarrod Bowen will be keen to play his part, but may face concerns with Salisbury set to take charge.

Jarrod Bowen faces uphill task with Michael Salisbury vs Southampton

The Hammers skipper has had a quietly excellent start to the campaign.

His six goals and five assists have gone under the radar for many, but not the claret and blue faithful.

They will once again be looking to him for inspiration against the Saints.

The 29-year-old may not be totally looking forward to the fixture after the EFL confirmed that Salisbury would be the main match official.

That comes down to the last time the 41-year-old took charge of the Irons.

It came in a 2-2 draw against Brighton as Bowen and Lucas Paqueta found the net for the hosts.

The controversy of this fixture came as Salisbury awarded three penalties on the day, two of which were scored.

Should the referee follow suit against Southampton, that could cause a worry for Bowen after his spot-kick mishap against Queens Park Rangers.

His 50 per cent record from the spot will leave fans concerned, especially knowing Taty Castellanos has also missed one this campaign.

What is West Ham's record under Salisbury?

Any fear from the captain would be justified after missing out on three points against the R's.

That feeling may be in the back of his mind from 12-yards, especially knowing West Ham don't have a great overall record under the watchful eye of Salisbury.

The referee took charge of the Hammers seven times in the Premier League over the years.

The claret and blue outfit secured three wins from those, but did draw two and lost three.

That mixed record is hardly a good omen when preparing to face the Saints.

It will now be down to Bowen and Co. to put in a performance and make sure to build a positive record under Salisbury.