Southampton vs West Ham could well be a hot-headed clash in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.
Of all the games being played in the second tier this weekend, this is the one that will catch the eye the most, as two promotion contenders battle it out to pick up a big three points in their respective battles to reenter the Premier League top table.
As a result, there might be a couple of yellow cards flying about, with the Saints' 3-2 win over West Ham, back in 2021, producing six bookings, three on both side.
The referee will want to ensure he isn't at the centre of any controversy for a game that should produce so much entertainment on the pitch, with the man in the middle now appointed.
The referee in charge of Southampton vs West Ham
Michael Salisbury will be the main official in charge of the showdown between the Hammers and Saints on Saturday.
Salisbury is a recognisable referee in the English game, having previously overseen 61 Premier League matches, with 234 yellow cards brandished along the way.
He also has a rich history in the EFL, with a mammoth 166 matches under his belt, refereeing in the Championship, League One, and League Two.
He has only taken charge of one second tier match so far this season, which was a low-key affair, in terms of action on the pitch, as West Bromwich Albion just about got the better of Watford 1-0.
Salisbury did produce eight yellow cards at the Hawthorns, though, so expect the likes of Jack Stephens to be potentially in the book when the Saints travel to the London Stadium.
Saints fans also won't be thrilled with the appointment of the Lancashire-born official when you cast an eye over his less than favourable record involving the South Coast club...
Saints fans won't be thrilled with this appointment
Staggeringly, over the ten Southampton games Salisbury has taken charge of over the years, Tonda Eckert's men have only come out on the winning side once.
That rare one-off victory fell all the way back in 2022, when the Saints travelled to Leicester City, and collected a slim 2-1 win at the King Power Stadium, courtesy of a brace from Che Adams.
Since then, it has been one draw and six defeats for Eckert and Co. with Salisbury in the middle, with a 3-1 loss at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in April 2025 the last match he was the referee for.
In all fairness, he has only exclusively refereed the South Coast side in the Premier League, with the Saints often losing in the top-flight in recent times as relegation material.
Now, they're in the promotion hunt in the division below, so - fingers crossed - this Salisbury-related jinx can be broken with a statement win at the London Stadium on Saturday.
When it comes to West Ham, he has overseen three wins from eight matches, with a 3-2 home win against Burnley the last victory that occurred when he graced the Hammers' turf.
Southampton need to just focus on themselves and what they can get done on the pitch on Saturday, instead of worrying over any strange hoodoos at play, as a blockbuster clash between two promotion hopefuls is now only two days away.
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