{"id":1396209,"date":"2025-08-25T18:28:30","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T17:28:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&p=1396209"},"modified":"2025-08-25T18:28:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T17:28:31","slug":"west-ham-analysis-what-is-going-wrong-for-graham-potter-at-the-hammers","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/west-ham-analysis-what-is-going-wrong-for-graham-potter-at-the-hammers\/","title":{"rendered":"West Ham analysis: What is going wrong for Graham Potter at the Hammers?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Not only have West Ham lost both their games to start the new season, but they’ve also looked like the worst team in the Premier League.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It looked like it was going to be all rise for the Hammers in the Premier League when they won the Uefa Conference League title in 2023. Big signings, high expectations… but after finishing 9th the following year, they ended 2024-25 in 14th place and have now started the new season with two straight losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of that, they’ve pretty much looked like the worst team in the league. That is never a good sign, especially in the last few years, with newly-promoted sides looking so out of place and not being able to compete in the top-flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland – as well as Wolves, who have also lost their first two games – all look better than West Ham right now. But why have the Londoners been so far behind everyone else?<\/p>\n\n\n

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    Set pieces<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    By far what stands out the most in the goals West Ham have conceded in the Premier League are set pieces, especially corners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Chelsea scored a whopping three goals from corner kicks against them on matchday 2, through Joao Pedro, Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah. Daniel Ballard had already found the net in similar fashion for Sunderland on opening weekend. For comparison sake, all the other Premier League teams have combined to concede just six goals from corner kicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To make matters worse, the Hammers own the fifth-worst aerial duel success rate inside their own box in the league, at 40%. That is despite playing with five at the back and three considerably tall centre-backs (Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman and Nayef Aguerd).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

    Defending in general<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    West Ham have looked shaky at the back not just in set pieces, but everywhere else overall. While they haven’t been exactly busy facing shots (eighth fewest in the league at 11.0 per game), they’ve allowed the most big chances so far this season (4.5 per match).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They have also conceded the fourth-most expected goals per game (1.8) and have faced, on average, the toughest shots in the league (0.16 xGA per shot faced, ahead only of Liverpool’s 0.17 in their win over Bournemouth).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    Graham Potter has taken fewer points in his first 10 home Premier League games in charge of West Ham than any other manager in the club's history (9).

    Eight goals is the most West Ham United have ever conceded across their opening two games of a top-flight season. ?     pic.twitter.com\/hdQdy96Dje<\/a><\/p>— Squawka Dugout (@SquawkaDugout) August 22, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>