West Ham United lost 1-5 to Chelsea at the London Stadium last Friday, August 22, in a Premier League match. Amid growing unrest among the supporters, the heavy defeat worsened the situation of Graham Potter, the West Ham manager.
There is no shame in losing to the Club World Cup champions, but the manner of the defeat was eye-catching. What was even more ironical was that West Ham took the lead with a thunderous strike from Lucas Paqueta in the sixth minute of the match, only to concede five goals afterwards.
West Ham Conceded Three Goals From Set-Pieces
West Ham conceded three of the five goals from corners, which made the abject state of their defence clear. It was a pretty sorry state of affairs for them, as three defensive players for Chelsea – Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah – got themselves into the score sheet.
Moreover, Chelsea kept slicing through West Ham’s defence with through passes repeatedly. With players like Paqueta, Callum Wilson and Jarred Bowen in their team, West Ham could not manage to score their second goal. It was not the ideal advertisement for Potter as a manager at all.
West Ham finished 14th in the league table last season. As things appear to be this season, they might find it difficult to finish above the relegation zone.
Since David Moyes left last season, things have gone downward for the London club. They suffered a 0-3 defeat against Sunderland in their opening match of the season and find themselves without a point from their two matches.
West Ham’s defence, which has let in eight goals in two matches so far, must be one of the weakest ones in the league. They must improve it in order to stay in the Premier League.
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Is Potter’s Job At Risk?
Potter, who has managed Brighton and Chelsea in the past, finds himself in a precarious position as West Ham’s manager. The Englishman’s performance at West Ham has been anything but satisfactory.
However, there are not too many suitable managers around for the West Ham job at the moment either.
The club’s Vice-Chairman Karren Brady has stated that they do not believe in changing managers frequently. However, if the performances remain dire, the pressure will mount on the manager ultimately without any doubt.
The Hammers will be travelling to Nottingham Forest to play their next match next weekend. Thereafter, they will face Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace in two London derbies. None of those three matches is going to be easy.
However, if West Ham gets their defence sorted out, they have the attacking might to hurt oppositions. Bowen, Paqueta, Wilson and Niclas Fullkrug form quite a potent attack for them.
An option for Potter will be to play with a defensive formation to cover his team’s weakness. It remains to be seen whether he is able to do that. As of now, the club’s supporters have every reason to be angry with the performance of their team, though.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Every Second Media
Recording Date: 22.08.2025