Stuart Attwell will referee Friday night’s Premier League gameweek 9 opener between Leeds and West Ham at Elland Road.
Leeds have had a mixed start since returning to the Premier League, sitting 16th with eight points from eight games. However, they will be eyeing up a win at home to troubled West Ham, 19th, who have just four points on the board and have yet to kick on under new boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who is winless in three.
Attwell made his Premier League debut back in 2008 and has overseen six games in all competitions so far this season, during which he’s whipped out 30 yellow cards – an average of five per game – and awarded a couple of penalties.
Attwell has history with both managers. He booked Farke for celebrating a 95th-minute Leeds winner against their then Championship title rivals Sunderland last season. As it was Farke’s third caution of the campaign, he was subsequently suspended for the clash against Sheffield United. As for Nuno, he was fined £40,000 after he slammed Attwell’s performance in Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 defeat to Everton in 2024.
Below, we take a closer look at Attwell’s record officiating matches involving Leeds and West Ham.
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Stuart Attwell’s Leeds Record
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches | 22 |
| Wins | 11 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Defeats | 8 |
| League Points | 35 |
| Penalties Per Game | 0 |
| Yellow Cards Per Game | 1.95 |
| Reds Per Game | 0.09 |
Leeds have won half of their 22 matches with Attwell as the man in the middle, losing eight and drawing three times. They’ve never been awarded a penalty, have received 43 yellows – plus an extra yellow for Farke – and two red cards.
Attwell’s most recent game involving Leeds was the dramatic 2-1 victory over Sunderland, where Leeds scored twice in the final 12 minutes, including a dramatic 95th-minute winner, which sparked wild celebrations and a yellow card for Farke.
Under Attwell’s whistle, Leeds have won two of their last four Premier League matches but suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Manchester City in their last encounter in 2022.
Stuart Attwell’s West Ham Record
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches | 24 |
| Wins | 7 |
| Draws | 4 |
| Defeats | 13 |
| League Points | 21 |
| Penalties Per Game | 0.08 |
| Yellow Cards Per Game | 1.79 |
| Reds Per Game | 0.08 |
West Ham have won seven, drawn four, and lost 13 matches with Attwell as referee. They have averaged 1.79 yellows per game, had two players sent off – albeit these came in two of his first three Hammers games – and been awarded two penalties.
West Ham are desperately searching for a spark as they bid to claim their first win under Nuno, however, their recent record under Attwell is extremely poor, picking up just one point from his last five games as the man in the middle. Attwell officiated two of their games last season: a 0-0 home draw against Everton and a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.
The club’s most recent victory with Attwell officiating came in early 2023: a 2-0 home win against the Toffees. Interestingly, five of their last 11 matches under Attwell have been against the blue side of Merseyside.
What can we expect on Friday night?
Stuart Attwell’s average of five yellow cards per league game this season is the highest among all Premier League referees, highlighting his willingness to dish out the cards.
While he hasn’t issued a red card yet this term, he has already awarded two penalties in just five league matches, which is something to keep in mind ahead of the meeting at Elland Road.
Both Leeds and West Ham have received just 11 yellow cards each across eight games this season, placing them among the teams with the fewest cautions, although West Ham have seen a player sent off.
It may well be the managers under extra scrutiny on Friday, given their previous encounters with Attwell.