Arsenal v West Ham United
Premier League, Emirates Stadium, Saturday 4 October 2025, 3pm BST
Referee: John Brooks
Assistant Referees: Simon Bennett and Matthew Wilkes
Fourth Official: Chris Kavanagh
VAR: Michael Oliver
Assistant VAR: James Mainwaring
John Brooks has been confirmed as the referee for West Ham United’s away match against Arsenal on Saturday.
The Leicestershire-born official was promoted to Professional Game Match Officials Limited's Select Group One in June 2021, and refereed his first Premier League match in December of the same year.
Brooks will officiate his first top-flight match of the 2025/26 season this weekend, having held the whistle during two EFL Championship and one Carabao Cup match so far this term, and last refereed a West Ham fixture when we defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 in December 2024. He also refereed the 2024/25 Carabao Cup final, won by Newcastle United.
Brooks will be assisted by Simon Bennett and Matthew Wilkes in north London.
Bennett, a 40-year-old from Staffordshire, is an experienced assistant who worked at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He is also a regular for UEFA, assisting in the Champions League and other European fixtures, and has worked over 500 games throughout his career.
Fellow assistant Wilkes, meanwhile, is also a well-versed official who has worked in the Premier League since 2014, and will run the line for the 200th time in the English top flight on Saturday.
He was an assistant referee at a West Ham Premier League match twice last season, and ran the line at London Stadium in our BOYLE Sports Cup win over French Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille in August.
Chris Kavanagh will undertake fourth official duties at Emirates Stadium.
Now 40, he worked his way up through the officiating ranks and was promoted to the National League in 2012. He started working in the English Football League in 2014 and was invited into the Select Group of Referees, and therefore the Premier League, in 2017, where he has refereed 170 games. He has also overseen four cup finals, including this season’s FA Community Shield between Crystal Palace and Liverpool.
Video Assistant Referee responsibilities will be overseen by Michael Oliver.
Oliver, who refereed his 400th Premier League match in our defeat to Chelsea at London Stadium in August, became the youngest referee to officiate at Wembley Stadium when he took charge of the 2007 Conference National play-off final, aged just 22, and has overseen over 750 matches throughout his esteemed career. He will be assisted by James Mainwaring.
