Graham Potter has been sacked as West Ham boss just 48 hours before their game against Everton and Nuno Espirito Santo has replaced him as manager.
He becomes the second managerial casualty of the new Premier League season – succeeded by the man who was given the boot first – and was given the axe with the Hammers languishing in 19th place.
Potter, 50, lasted only 25 games at the helm having come in to replace Julen Lopetegui in January this year.
The Hammers managed just three wins in their last 15 Premier League games under the Englishman 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 United can confirm that Head Coach Graham Potter has left the Club,’ an official club statement read.
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
‘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.’
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.
On Friday, Potter had spoken about the pressure he was under and admitted result are 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,’ he said.
‘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.
Nuno Espirito Santo has emerged as the leading candidate to take the helm at West Ham
‘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.’
Nuno Espirito Santo, who recently left Nottingham Forest following the breakdown of his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis, has emerged as the leading candidate to take charge and drag the Hammers away from a relegation battle.
