West Ham head to London rivals Crystal Palace next and will be furious at an official Premier League announcement ahead of the game.
West Ham and Crystal Palace have plenty in common heading into the new season.
Both the Hammers and the Eagles have been tipped to do well after some impressive transfer business.
Crystal Palace were one of the form teams at the end of last season under new boss Oliver Glasner.
That was underlined when they smashed West Ham 5-2 at Selhurst Park back as the sun started setting on David Moyes’ tenure.
With a new manager in Julen Lopetegui and eight new signings – and counting – many are tipping West Ham to challenge for Europe.
Amid the high hopes, though, both West Ham and Palace started the new Premier League season with disappointing 2-1 defeats against Aston Villa and Brentford respectively.
Now they go head-to-head at Selhurst Park again and the Irons are looking to kickstart life under Lopetegui.
There were some interesting VAR calls involving both West Ham and Crystal Palace in the opening weekend.
Disappointing starts for Hammers and Palace
Palace were denied a goal when a fantastic, quick-thinking free-kick from Eberechi Eze caught Brentford’s goalkeeper off guard.
But referee Samuel Barrott blew for a free-kick involving two players who were not interfering with play.
The official apologised to Eze and Palace for the mistake.
Meanwhile at the London Stadium on Saturday, it was felt West Ham benefitted from new PGMOL guidelines on less interference with on-field decisions when a penalty on Tomas Soucek stood.
The foul by Matty Cash divided opinion. But the general consensus was that last season VAR would have overturned the decision.
West Ham have suffered more than most at the hands of VAR since it was introduced in the English top flight.
The Hammers have had their fair share of shocking and costly refereeing decisions go against them too.
And one in particular towards the end of last season was seen as the moment West Ham’s hopes of a fourth consecutive season of European football were ended.
West Ham will be apoplectic at Premier League announcement
Now West Ham will be apoplectic at an official Premier League announcement for the Crystal Palace clash.
Because official Rob Jones has been confirmed as the referee for West Ham’s clash with Palace, the first London derby of the new campaign.
Hammers supporters will remember the last time Jones took charge of a West Ham game.
Because it is regarded as one of the worst refereeing performances of a West Ham game in Premier League history.
West Ham went to Newcastle at the end of March knowing a win would leave them brilliantly placed to seal a European spot.
The Hammers led the game 3-1 with 13 minutes to go. But inexplicably the east Londoners lost 4-3 and it spelled the beginning of the end for Moyes.
The Scot suggested at the time that referee Jones played a ‘huge part’ in Newcastle’s win.
So Palace might be delighted to hear Jones is the man taking charge of Saturday’s match.
Ref from infamous Newcastle collapse will take charge at Palace
It was easy to see why Moyes was so angry.
Newcastle’s first and second goals that day both came from the spot. Anthony Gordon was brought down by Vladimir Coufal for the first, following a VAR check for offside. Both calls were seen as hugely controversial but went in favour of the hosts.
Gordon was also deemed to have been fouled by substitute Kalvin Phillips for the Magpies’ second penalty late on after Jones went to his pitchside monitor to make the call.
But it was clearly a foul on an insighted Phillips by Gordon, who tackled him from behind to try and stop the midfielder clearing the ball.
Moyes and then assistant coach Kevin Nolan also went apoplectic at the officials when Dan Burn’s overly aggressive shoulder barge on Mohammed Kudus went unpunished late in the first half.
West Ham will be hoping for a much improved performance from Jones when he takes charge of the big game at Crystal Palace this weekend.
The assistant referees for the game will be Ian Hussin and Neil Davies, the fourth official is Andy Davies and Paul Tierney heads up VAR alongside assistant Wade Smith.
Crystal Palace vs West Ham kicks off at 3pm on Saturday.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
