Graham Potter has been sacked as West Ham boss just 48 hours before their game against Everton, with Nuno Espirito Santo replacing him as manager.
Potter becomes the second managerial casualty of the new Premier League season – succeeded by the man who was given the boot first by Nottingham Forest.
The 50-year-old lasted only 25 games at the helm having come in to replace Julen Lopetegui in January this year and leaves with the club languishing down in 19th in the table.
The Hammers managed just three wins in their last 15 Premier League games under the Englishman in a dire run dating back to the end of last season and the 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace last weekend was his final match in charge.
West Ham play Everton and old boss David Moyes on Monday night in what will be the Espirito Santo’s first game in charge having been sacked by Nottingham Forest on September 8.
West Ham’s only victory this season came against Forest, beating their new manager’s old side 3-0 in what proved to be his last game at the City Ground.
Graham Potter has been sacked as West Ham boss after a dreadful start to the season
Potter’s side were languishing in 19th in the table when the axe fell on him
‘West Ham United can confirm that Head Coach Graham Potter has left the Club,’ an official statement read.
‘Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025/26 season have not matched expectations, and the Board of Directors believe that a change is necessary in order to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible.
‘The Club can confirm that Assistant Coach Bruno Saltor, First Team Coaches Billy Reid and Narcis Pelach, Lead Goalkeeper Coach Casper Ankergren, and Goalkeeper Coach Linus Kandolin have also left with immediate effect.
‘The Board would like to thank Graham and his coaching staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future.
‘The process of appointing a replacement is underway. The Club will be making no further comment at this time.’
West Ham had only won once this season under Potter after being walloped 3-0 away at newly-promoted Sunderland to set the tone on opening day.
That was followed by a 5-1 home hammering by Chelsea and EFL Cup exit at the hands of Wolves before the momentary optimism of the win at Forest was snuffed out by Tottenham and Crystal Palace winning at London Stadium.
Potter has now been sacked in less than a year from his previous two jobs – lasting seven months at Chelsea following his impressive spell at Brighton.
Nuno Espirito Santo has emerged as the leading candidate to take the helm at West Ham
On Friday in his final press conference, Potter had spoken about the pressure he was under and admitted results were not good enough, although he also claimed to have held ‘positive talks’ with club bosses.
He said: ‘It doesn’t affect me. I don’t listen to that. It’s your job, and other people’s jobs, to create speculation and it’s part of the noise of the Premier League; it’s what you sign up for.’
‘So if results aren’t good, which they haven’t been and no one is shying away from that, the results aren’t what we want, then there’s always speculation.
‘There’s always noise, there’s always negativity, and there’s nothing to complain about from my perspective.’
Regarding talks about his future with the hierarchy at the club, Potter added: ‘We’ve had positive talks but we all understand where we are at and we want to improve.
‘As I said before, no one is happy with where we are at, but at the same time you have to look at the context and the situation and not get caught up in the noise.’
He also responded to internet mockery, with a trend of putting his face on various celebrities and images going viral.
Potter remarked: ‘It made my 15-year-old son laugh a lot so, as I said, you have to accept what comes with it. It comes with criticism, it comes with ridicule but that’s just the environment we’re in and it is what it is.’
