Graham Potter Asking For West Ham Sack With His £20m Mistake vs Chelsea

Graham Potter may already need to sacrifice one of his trusted new signings if he is to have any chance of clinging on to his job. West Ham turned in their second amateurish display in as many weeks of the 2025/26 Premier League season on Friday night, crumbling to a 5-1 defeat against Chelsea in front of their own fans, who were streaming out of the exits before the hour-mark.

It was a sorry showing, with Blues’ new recruits Joao Pedro and Estevao both finding the net, leaving the Hammers wiping their eyes at full-time in disbelief at just how far off the pace they looked. This was despite Lucas Paqueta’s bolt-from-the-blue inside six minutes – a goal that had briefly lifted spirits and offered hope of kick-starting their campaign after last weekend’s 3-0 loss to newly-promoted Sunderland set from off on the backfoot. Watch his stunning opener below:

Needless to say, changes are urgently required if Potter – once in the opposite hot seat at Chelsea – is to last beyond the international break in September. Quick fixes may be hard to come by, but one clear starting point would be dropping new goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, whose string of mistakes has already cost his side dearly.

Potter Can’t Afford to Persist With Mads Hermansen

Of course, Hermansen – who joined West Ham for £20 million from Leicester City over the summer – hasn’t been helped by a backline that looks far too casual in doing its job, practically inviting opponents to streamroll through and test the Dane. Perhaps the most damning statistic for West Ham is that they picked up no yellow cards, exposing their near-holographic presence in defence.

That said, Hermansen himself did little to cover his own deficiencies. From seven shots on target, he conceded five goals, including three from a corner. Confidence already appears thin on the ground, and with a proven shot-stopper warming the bench, a change between the sticks feels increasingly inevitable.

At no point did the Dane look comfortable. He completed just 61 per cent of his passes, made only two saves, and was culpable for an error that led to a goal. Watch his two attempts to claim the ball for Chelsea’s fourth and fifth strikes below:

While West Ham Zone gave Hermansen a 3/10 for his performance in their match ratings piece, Jamie Redknapp also dedicated an entire section of his post-match analysis to the goalkeeper. He said (watch the full segment below):

Alphonse Areola should certainly start as the Hammers head to Wolves in midweek for the Carabao Cup, before returning to the Midlands to face a high-flying Nottingham Forest next weekend, who are themselves navigating unusual managerial turmoil following their owners’ public clash with Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Frenchman, 32, has proven his Premier League credentials at many flashpoints throughout his career. Last season, he played 26 league games for West Ham, keeping five clean sheets and conceding just 41 goals – a tally that could be matched by Hermansen in just 10 games should the rate at which they ship goals continue between now and Autumn.