By West Ham

Copyright skysports

Graham Potter has been sacked by West Ham after just nine months in charge.

Potter, who replaced Julen Lopetegui as head coach on a two-and-a-half-year contract in January, has been unable to turn the fortunes around at the London Stadium, with the club second-bottom of the Premier League.

A club statement on Saturday morning – two days before their Monday Night Football game with Everton – read: “West Ham United can confirm that head coach Graham Potter has left the club.

“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.”

West Ham said the process of appointing a replacement was “underway”.

Sky Sports News previously reported Nuno Espirito Santo was among the names being considered.

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Potter was sacked after winning just six of 23 Premier League games.

West Ham finished last term in the same 14th position they were when Potter replaced Lopetegui, but this season the club have recorded just three points from five league games, with Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Crystal Palace proving the final straw.

Analysis: West Ham went backwards under Potter

Analysis by Sky Sports’ Peter Smith:

Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui in January, but West Ham have gone backwards since then.

The former Brighton and Chelsea boss struggled to deliver consistent performances in the second half of last season as West Ham limped to a 14th-placed finish – the spot Lopetegui had left them in. They are now 19th and any hope of a boost from a pre-season with Potter and a squad overhaul this summer has already vanished.

The stats make grim reading for Potter. There have been just six wins in his 23 Premier League games – and only three in the last 16. In fact, Potter finishes his tenure with a worse win percentage than Lopetegui – and only marginally better than Avram Grant’s record low for a West Ham boss in the Premier League.

A winless run stretching to eight games at the London Stadium increased the ire among the match-going Hammers fans, who have not seen their side be victorious in a game at home since late February, while the style of play under Potter frustrated them, too.

Potter’s West Ham was a team which allowed the opposition more passes before intervening than any other side in the top flight – and then ranked third-bottom for direct attacks up the pitch when they had it. It was certainly not edge-of-your-seat stuff.

The real action happened when West Ham had to defend crosses or corners and their vulnerability in these situations raised questions about training-ground work done by Potter and his coaching staff to prepare for those moments.

When Potter was asked if he was still the right man to lead West Ham, his reply following the Palace result was an adamant “of course”. The majority in the stands did not have the same conviction, with Hammers fans joining in with the away supporters chanting ‘sacked in the morning’ at the under-fire boss. It wasn’t quite that swift but, clearly, the board felt the same way too.

West Ham’s next six fixtures

Everton (a) Sept 29, Premier League, 8pm – live on Sky SportsArsenal (a) Oct 4, Premier League, 3pmBrentford (h) Oct 20, Premier League, 8pm – live on Sky SportsLeeds United (a) Oct 24, Premier League, 8pm – live on Sky SportsNewcastle United (a) Nov 2, Premier League, 2pm – live on Sky SportsBurnley (h) Nov 8, Premier League, 3pm