New season, same problems as West Ham suffer opening day defeat

It's easy for supporters to get carried away by results after just one matchday of the new 2025/2026 Premier League season.

West Ham United's 3-0 loss away to newly promoted Sunderland on Wearside showed signs that the Hammers faithful may be in for a long season. These signs, however, are not just early-season cobwebs that simply need dusting off. A continuation of problems carried over from previous seasons was on show at the Stadium of Light, as a lacklustre second half in particular gave Graham Potter an insight into the job at hand.

Ongoing problems

From the last six months of Moyes's trophy-winning spell in East London, to Lopetegui's short stint in charge, followed by Potter's current reign, the club have failed to address certain areas which have continued to be exploited. A barren spell of 15 wins in their last 58 league games - dating back to January 2024 - highlights the need for change. The latest defeat was a 10th in 20 matches since his appointment back in January.

An honest assessment from our captain following today's game 🗣️

— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 16, 2025

50-year-old Potter saw his side swept apart by an energetic and organised Sunderland team, backed by a superb crowd. A Regis Le Bris team who have spent a lot of money so far this summer, but crucially recruited well. A West Ham midfield that has been exploited far too often in recent seasons allowed an experienced Granit Xhaka to take control in the centre of the park.

Questionable tactics

New signing Mads Hermansen had a debut to forget in goal, days after completing a £20 million move from Leicester City. The Danish stopper seemed slow to get to Mayenda's header for the opener, before allowing Isidor's shot to trickle under his arm for the third. The decision to start him seemed bold enough, having not featured in any pre-season games. Dropped regular choice goalkeeper Alphonse Areola had a shaky pre-season, although he saved two penalties last weekend in the club's pre-season cup, where they beat Lille via a penalty shootout.

The lack of both pace and creativity in midfield continues to cause frustration amongst West Ham fans, as Guido Rodriguez was chosen to start ahead of the three centre-backs. The Argentine World Cup winner had a below-par opening season at the club, with strong reports linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia during the week. With fans expecting the news of his departure, it came as a surprise to see his name on the starting XI. Youngster Freddie Potts, son of former Hammers midfielder Steve, had been a regular during pre-season following a successful loan spell at Portsmouth during the 2024/25 campaign. Having shown energy and a different style of play in recent weeks from the norm, the 21-year-old was an unused substitute, despite the dogged midfield performances of Rodriguez and Ward-Prowse.

The lack of sensible recruitment continues to be an ongoing problem at the club, despite previously citing a change in transfer culture with younger players targeted. Michail Antonio's departure following his car crash finally turned the club's hand to bring in a long-overdue signing of a striker. The replacement was Callum Wilson, a 33-year-old who had made just two starts for Newcastle last season, on a pay-as-you-play deal. At 2-0 down yesterday, Potter's options were limited in terms of game-changers, with uninspiring Soucek, Wilson and Andy Irving all brought on. Other signings this summer include full-backs El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters, plus 19-year-old winger Daniel Cummings from Celtic, with no clear replacement for the departing Mohamed Kudus.

Challenging Start

Things could very likely get worse for the former Brighton and Chelsea manager, with a tough run of fixtures coming up. Starting the season at a newly promoted side is always difficult, although on paper, yesterday's match-up was arguably the most winnable game for West Ham over the next few weeks. They face home London derbies against Chelsea and Tottenham, either side of a trip to City ground, to play a Nottingham Forest team who they have lost against on all three trips since their promotion in 2022.

Losing has become a part of supporting the club; that is what made the UEFA Conference League success even sweeter. Similar performances in recent years have been seen under the likes of Gianfranco Zola and Avram Grant. However, leaving a game after a loss at Upton Park at least feels better than walking away from the London Stadium, a move that took away some of their identity, whilst expected to take the club to the next level. 10 years on from the move, the club are languishing around the lower embers of the table, with a squad lacking in both depth and structure. Patience is wearing thin, as a response is needed under the lights on Friday night against Club World Cup champions Chelsea.