Graham Potter sacked by West Ham after dismal start to season

1 week ago 9

Graham Potter has been sacked by West Ham five games into the league season and becomes the second managerial casualty in the Premier League of 2025-26.

The move follows last Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace. West Ham lost 3-0 at promoted Sunderland on the opening weekend, then were routed 5-1 at home by Chelsea in the season’s second Friday night game, despite Lucas Paquetá giving them the lead.

West Ham then went out of the Carabao Cup at Wolves, the 3-2 defeat marked by a confrontation between Jarrod Bowen and a Hammers fan. After a 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest, West Ham lost by the same scoreline at home to Spurs. Palace’s 2-1 victory at the London Stadium proved the final straw.

West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady (top centre) watches yet another defeat unfold

Damningly, West Ham have lost their opening three home league games for the second consecutive season, the first time they have done so in 98 seasons in English football.

Potter was appointed in January as successor to Julen Lopetegui. He enjoyed some successes – notably a 1-0 win at Arsenal that badly damaged the Gunners’ title hopes – but the Hammers were 14th when he took over and he could not improve on that position come the season’s end. Two of his five wins last season were against Ipswich and Leicester, who were relegated.

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Potter acknowledged he was under scrutiny after the defeat by Chelsea, saying: “You are under pressure all the time in these jobs. In this situation, that is how it is. I know the territory, I know what comes with poor results and I accept that responsibility. It was too easy to score against us so I take my responsibility and I have to do better. That is the case with all the players.”

After the Palace match, he said: “Do I believe I can turn it around? Of course. I also understand it’s tough. We’re in a tough situation, there’s no getting away from that. The only thing you can do is front it up, be honest with it. We want to do better than we are and at the moment we’re not.”

The 50-year-old, who made his name at Östersund in Sweden, Swansea and then Brighton, had been out of management for more than a year and a half when he was appointed by West Ham. He had been sacked in April 2023 by Chelsea after less than a year in charge, with the club 11th in the Premier League.