It’s been a nightmare start to the season for West Ham but the misery continues to be piled on for Graham Potter.
The Hammers have won just one of their opening four games in the Premier League and have already conceded 11 goals, raising questions over Graham Potter’s future.
Heavy defeats against Chelsea and Sunderland sounded the alarm bells at the London Stadium, before a 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest eased some of the pressure off the manager.
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TBR Football revealed that Potter was given a two-game deadline to reverse West Ham’s form, and despite the win at the City Ground, his position remains under heavy scrutiny.
The fact that one of his former players, sold for a meagre fee worth under £1million no less, went on to dazzle in the Champions League does not help his cause either.
Graham Potter looks dejected during West Ham's defeat against Tottenham
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
Emerson Palmieri impresses against Real Madrid in the Champions League
Emerson Palmieri made 31 appearances for the Hammers in the Premier League last season and was a regular fixture in the starting XI following his arrival from Chelsea in 2022.
In fact, he played 113 times in total for the East Londoners and was famously part of the team that won the Europa Conference League under David Moyes in 2023.
The 30-year-old joined Ligue 1 side Marseille during the summer and was given a baptism of fire on Tuesday night, after being handed his debut away at Real Madrid in the Champions League.
After missing the entirety of pre-season, he suddenly found himself up against the likes of Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappe, a tough prospect for even the most razor-sharp defenders.
However, Emerson more than held his own at left-back and won eight out of eight of his ground duels, an impressive achievement considering how Real Madrid’s attackers zip across the pitch.
Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi openly admitted the Italian international was brought in as a back-up option, but his display in the Bernabeu cauldron will surely have changed his mind.
Emerson Palmieri is pictured in action during Marseille's defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League
Photo by Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
French press rave over Emerson Palmieri’s performance
Emerson was quite rightly recognised by the French press for his standout performance.
He was given a respectable 7/10 rating by the Made in Marseillais website, after the visitors valiantly lost 2-1 following two penalties from Mbappe.
Coeur Marsaillais also gave Emerson a seven, writing: “After a difficult start to the match, Emerson showed that he can do great things.”
But the best review came from Le Quotidien du Sport, which said: “Emerson Palmieri [was] perhaps the best Marseille player on the pitch. On his first start, he lost almost no duels.”
West Ham will surely be kicking themselves. Not only did they allow Emerson to leave for a dismal fee, but they have also been taught a valuable lesson in keeping experienced players on board.
The under-pressure Potter will not be pleased.