West Ham vs Crystal Palace announcement made that could spell the end for Graham Potter
West Ham host Crystal Palace on Saturday with the hopes of winning their second game of the season.
Graham Potter’s side are struggling at both ends of the pitch, with just four goals scored and 11 conceded in four Premier League games.
Off the back of West Ham’s 3-0 loss to Tottenham and a wretched end to the summer transfer window, the Irons certainly need a win to alleviate some of the concerns that continue to linger.
Now, the Premier League have made a new announcement for the clash, which will damage hopes of Potter avoiding the sack at West Ham over the weekend.
Tony Harrington set to take charge of West Ham vs Crystal Palace
For the first time since West Ham’s 2-1 win against Wolves on 6 April 2024, Tony Harrington will officiate the Hammers’ encounter this weekend.
The Premier League confirmed this weekend’s refereeing appointments in an announcement on their official website.
Harrington is one of the least experienced referees in the Premier League, and the Hammers have had differing fortunes with him in the middle in the past.
| West Ham | Team | Tottenham |
| 0.6 | Expected goals | 1.22 |
| 7 | Shots | 14 |
| 4 | On target | 5 |
| 7 | Fouls won | 8 |
West Ham had a refereeing error go in their favour against Tottenham, with Cristian Romero’s first-half header ruled out for an alleged foul.
Referee Jarred Gillett went on to even things out in the second half as West Ham’s Tomas Soucek was red-carded.
Crystal Palace had no refereeing errors go against them last season, according to the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents panel, which will be a worry for Potter.
West Ham’s record with Tony Harrington in charge
Harrington has been an official Premier League referee since 2022, having been a match official for 18 top-flight matches during the 2024-2025 season.
The Hammers have been refereed by the 42-year-old four times, with two losses and two wins in each of those games.
Results when refereed by Harrington:
- West Ham 2–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers April 6, 2024
- West Ham 1–2 Aston Villa August 17, 2024
- West Ham 2–0 Manchester United December 23, 2023
- West Ham 0–4 Brighton & Hove Albion March 4, 2023
His lasting outing for a West Ham game was against Wolves, and he denied them a disallowed 99th-minute equalizer from Max Kilman.
Equally, in the defeat to Villa, a stoppage-time goal by Jarrod Bowen was ruled out after a five-minute VAR check confirmed a handball by Soucek in the build-up.
Harrington has been favourable to Crystal Palace in the past, who are unbeaten in three of their four games with him in the middle.
Should he continue in the same way during the game between West Ham and Crystal Palace on Saturday, Potter’s time in East London could come to an end.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest West Ham United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @westhamzone247