West Ham United

Adam Millington
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Nuno has taken over a West Ham side in the middle of a horrible run of form, having lost four of their first five games, and he will hope this draw marks the start of an improved new era.

While West Ham's build-up play was often underwhelming, forward Crysencio Summerville and left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf were bright sparks down the Hammers' left.

Dutchman Summerville carried the ball well and looked to stretch the Everton back-line out of position, while Diouf was too much for Toffees right-back Jake O'Brien to handle at times and his cross led to Jarrod Bowen's equaliser.

West Ham's goal immediately made them much more threatening as they took the game to Everton, picking up their first points in the Premier League since the end of August.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Everton's performance

What did you make of West Ham's display?

Come back on Tuesday for a selection of your replies

David Moyes names an unchanged Everton side from the team who narrowly lost the Merseyside derby in their last Premier League game on 20 September.

Everton XI: Pickford, Keane, Tarkowski, Beto, Ndiaye, O'Brien, Mykolenko, Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall, Gueye, Garner.

Subs: Travers, Patterson, McNeil, Barry, Dibling, Coleman, Alcaraz, Aznou, Iroegbunam.

Nuno Espirito Santo makes two changes for West Ham in his first match in charge.

James Ward Prowse is not included in the squad, while Callum Wilson drops to the bench.

They are replaced by Soungoutou Magassa and Callum Wilson, who were both among the substitutes for the Hammers' 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace last time out.

West Ham XI: Areola, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Summerville, Paqueta, Fullkrug, Diouf, Mavropanos, Fernandes, Bowen, Magassa.

Subs: Hermansen, Julio, Wilson, Guilherme, Rodriguez, Scarles, Potts, Irving, Marshall.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

The contractual conditions surrounding Graham Potter's exit from West Ham have been the subject of several questions sent in via our 'Ask about West Ham' form.

Most correspondence focused on whether Potter will now receive a lucrative compensation package after his sacking.

The details of Potter's contract are not known.

However, what is known is West Ham initially wanted to offer him the job to the end of last season and then review – and Potter said no.

That can only lead to the conclusion there is compensation that will need to be paid.

To 'normal' people, it is a colossal amount of money being paid to someone who has essentially failed at their job.

But clubs could not get a manager without giving them a contract, so they know the deals they are entering into and the consequences if it does not work out.

Also, the figures involved are relatively minor given clubs get over £3m per place in the Premier League.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

Holly Turbutt
Fan contributor

West Ham Network's Holly Turbutt says that putting such an abrupt stop to Graham Potter's project feels "brutal".

"As much as I wanted Potter to succeed, once belief in that project is gone, it makes sense to move quickly," says Holly.

Find more from Holly Turbutt at West Ham Network, external

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With West Ham lingering in 19th in the Premier League, the Hammers have opted to bring Nuno Espirito Santo in as Graham Potter's managerial successor.

Nuno boasts a system that aligns well with the current squad, but the interpersonal skills he brings to the job may be just as important in getting the club out of their current situation.

Match of the Day presenter Gabby Logan and ex-England captain Ellen White discuss the appointment of Nuno and what fans want to see from their new boss.

The irony here is that a win for former West Ham boss David Moyes, who their fans wanted to get rid of, could end Graham Potter's time in charge of the Hammers.

It's hard to see any other outcome, to be honest. Everton are still short of a goalscoring striker but they have stacks of creativity and should have more than enough chances.

My 606 co-host Roman Kemp described the Hill Dickinson Stadium as a fortress last week. I feel like he went a bit early there, but they should still be too strong for West Ham - I am not sure the Hammers have the stomach for a fight.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Umir Irfan
Football tactics correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham have struggled to build out from the back under pressure and, in trying to score through longer possessions, they have not created dangerous chances with ease.

For the past few seasons the Hammers have looked brightest when attacking in transition, making the most of their best players' strengths, in particular Jarrod Bowen.

Nuno Espirito Santo's Nottingham Forest would break quickly using the pace of their front four to attack space. This would suit players like West Ham's Crysencio Summerville, Lucas Paqueta and Bowen.

If Nuno wants to prioritise defensive solidity initially, he may start with a five-at-the-back system, but it would be unsurprising to see him deploy his more commonly used 4-2-3-1.

Despite having a general system he opts for, Nuno changes the roles of the players in his system based on their qualities.

Using the wingers as an example, Nuno would ask Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga to play wide.

Against Fulham last season the wingers were Elliot Anderson and Nicolas Dominguez, who were instead encouraged to move infield given their skillset.

Nuno will look to his strongest players, looking to create a team that allow them to do what they do best.

El Hadji Malick Diouf's impressive quality as an attacking full-back this season will therefore likely be utilised, with Nuno opting for defensive security elsewhere on the pitch.

Niclas Fullkrug, Summerville, Soungoutou Magassa, Mateus Fernandes, Paqueta and Max Kilman are all players who also make more sense being used in Nuno's transition-heavy system.

In analysing Nuno's Forest, it is also important to recognise the intelligent tactical tweaks he opted for last season, dispelling the myth that he is strictly a park-the-bus-and-counter coach.

Forest beat Brighton in the FA Cup quarter-finals last season using five midfielders: Danilo, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Ryan Yates and Dominguez.

Elanga and Hudson-Odoi were benched for natural midfielders, which allowed Nuno's men to block the central areas of the pitch, nullifying Brighton.

These game-specific tweaks often within his general system are a sign of Nuno's adaptability in recent months.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Appointing Nuno Espirito Santo is the common-sense decision.

West Ham are in the relegation zone and, though it may irk fans to read it, not too good to go down.

Nuno's pragmatic approach is a far cry from what Graham Potter was trying to implement and what Hammers fans would ideally see from their team, but needs must for West Ham at the moment.

Nuno has vast experience in ensuring his teams stay in the Premier League - he did it with Wolves and again with Nottingham Forest.

Sources close to the situation have told BBC Sport that steps towards the 51-year-old's appointment started before the game against Crystal Palace.

Primarily on an exploratory basis, the Hammers were keen to determine whether he would be willing to return to work so soon after losing his job at the City Ground.

The initial response was encouraging, he intimated he was open to it.

There were others in the frame, too. Slaven Bilic - a former Hammers player and manager - was also considered. He would have been a romantic appointment and, perhaps it goes without saying, he would have jumped at the opportunity to return to east London.

According to sources close to Bilic, he was already planning his coaching team.

Mark Noble - the club's sporting director - would have been sounded out about taking on a coaching remit, while former Hammers defender James Collins was in line for a return to the club.

Intriguingly, it is understood Bilic would have been willing to take the job on a deal that ran until the end of the season - making him an attractive proposition to David Sullivan, who is believed to have preferred a short-term appointment.

Defeat by Crystal Palace sharpened the mind. Potter's reign was effectively over and a matter of when not if.

The focus at the start of this week centred on Nuno. Sources indicated Sullivan, at least at that point, maintained his preference to make an appointment until the summer while offering a 'huge bonus' should the new man keep them in the Premier League.

But as one well-placed source said to BBC Sport: "Why would Nuno agree to that?"

His stock is high. He transformed Forest from a club threatened with relegation to one playing in Europe this season. His body of work at the City Ground is, effectively, why West Ham have appointed him.

Indeed, despite the obvious ease of appointing Bilic, talks with Nuno had been ongoing since the start of the week.

BBC Sport sources indicated on Wednesday that Sullivan was minded to meet Nuno's requests, and it is understood agreement on a three-year deal was finally reached on Friday evening.

Read the inside story of Potter's sacking and Nuno's appointment

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We asked for your views on Nuno Espirito Santo's appointment as West Ham United's new head coach.

The turnaround from Graham Potter's departure was quick, but do you think the former Tottenham and Nottingham Forest boss is the right man to solve the club's current problems?

Here are some of your thoughts:

John: It's too early to know what impact Nuno will have. We all thought Potter was the answer, but perhaps our player acquisitions need scrutiny.

Simon: I like Nuno. I think he will steady the ship, with particular attention to detail in central defence and the goalkeeper position. He will make us harder at the back and we will build from there. A good appointment at last!

Roger: Yet another manager - when are the owners ever going to learn? They could have bought a top class striker, and possibly a top class central defender for the money they have wasted on a procession of mediocre managers.

James: A good appointment and the right time to make a change. Nuno will hopefully imprint his ideas quickly and get the team pushing up the table. I'm just glad this has come about now, rather than further down the line when it could've been too late.

Iain: Nuno was the last manager Potter beat as West Ham manager before he too was sacked. So now we've appointed two sacked managers this season, the current losing to the prior. It bodes well for a tragic club in crisis, with an appalling board run by the Brady bunch!

Jon: This just proves that Karren Brady and David Sullivan can't run a football club. They have made some horrendous decisions when it comes to management appointments. It's time for them to sell up, move on and get West Ham back in a stadium which they can call home.

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham United have confirmed Nuno Espirito Santo will succeed Graham Potter as the club's new head coach.

The 51-year-old, who has previously managed Wolves, Tottenham and most recently Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, has signed a three-year contract with the Hammers.

Speaking to the club's website, external after signing his contract, Nuno said: "I am very pleased to be here and very proud to be representing West Ham United.

"My objective is to work hard to get the very best from the team and ensure that we are as competitive as we possibly can be.

"The work has already started and I am looking forward to the challenge that is ahead."

Nuno will take charge of his first match against Everton on Monday night (20:00 BST), having already taken training at Rush Green on Saturday afternoon ahead of the trip to Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Are you happy with the appointment?

Earlier on Saturday, plenty of you told us the board needed to act quickly, but is Nuno the man to solve the club's problems?

Let us know

James Jones
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

The build up to West Ham's trip to Everton on Monday night had a certain level of inevitability to it.

Another defeat last weekend had put further pressure on Graham Potter's position. It was becoming more likely the club would need to act.

The general consensus throughout the fanbase was that he should have been removed immediately after the 2-1 home loss to Crystal Palace, which would have given his replacement a full week to work with the players before Monday night.

Indeed, that would have been the most sensible thing to do.

But no such decision arrived, and fans responded by launching a social media trend which involved planting Potter's face on photos of celebrities and influencers. It was a social media trend for the ages, so much so that Potter was even asked about it in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.

But by Saturday morning he was gone, just two days before West Ham's next game.

The timing of it all just seems so haphazard, almost like there was not really a plan in place post-Palace after all.

So who comes in? The likely candidate is Nuno Espirito Santo, who worked wonders at Nottingham Forest before leaving the club last month, ironically after a 3-0 home defeat to Potter's West Ham.

Nuno's style of play would see the team revert back to a similar identity they had under David Moyes, one fans had grown frustrated with towards the end of the Scot's successful reign.

But Julen Lopetegui and Potter have both failed miserably at the task of making West Ham more attractive over the past 14 months, so it seems the club now have no other option but to return to what it knows best.

Nuno has already guided both Wolves and Nottingham Forest into Europe, so he has got the experience and the credentials to deliver what West Ham fans so desperately crave.

The problem is, he will need to have an instant impact in east London, otherwise the pressure will come on quickly.

Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external

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West Ham United have entered the Premier League managerial merry-go-round after sacking Graham Potter, with former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo already emerging as a strong candidate to take over.

Potter lasted just eight months at London Stadium, so we asked if you agree with the timing of the decision - and what the club should be looking for in their next managerial appointment.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Leigh: I really wanted it to work under him, but unfortunately he did need to go. However, it is horrendous timing by the board again. I honestly feel we are a joke club. A major change is needed at the top.

Kevin: Why wait all week? It has been seven days since the defeat against Crystal Palace. The board could've done this on Monday, giving time to appoint a new manager before the Everton game. Potter may well have needed to go but as sure as eggs are eggs, the entire board need to go as well. This just proves they are unable to run our club properly.

Mark: Potter arrived with a 29% win rate and a reputation of being a smart, adaptable manager. It was never going to work out. Although pre-season was quite promising, with just the one defeat to Man Utd in the USA. It is sad - as when any manager loses their job - but West Ham have to pay for an established manager who can win now, not another freebie.

Colin: It's time the players take some responsibility, for first Julen Lopetegui and now Potter. We have decent players - we just need someone to get a tune out of them.

Nilesh: Right decision, odd timing. If they haven't got someone in place already, why sack him after sending him out to do the media duties and embarrassing him? He had to go, but that's pretty shocking treatment.

George: This season feels very much like the 2010-11 season, where we all knew we were going down from the opening couple of games. I don't think a new manager will change that.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham United picked up just three points from their opening five Premier League games this season under Graham Potter, while Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace was their fifth loss in six league and cup games this season.

Potter replaced Spaniard Julen Lopetegui, who was sacked in January after six months in charge, with the Hammers 14th in the table.

"It's a proud day to be head coach of this amazing club - big tradition, big history, big expectations, big challenge," Potter said when he was appointed on 9 January 2025.

But the former Chelsea and Brighton boss found wins difficult to come by.

West Ham - who sold Ghana forward Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham for £55m in July - spent £126m on eight new arrivals in the summer transfer window, including the £38m purchase of Portuguese midfielder Mateus Fernandes from Southampton.

But losses to Sunderland, Chelsea, Tottenham and Palace have left the club in the Premier League's bottom three. They also went out of the Carabao Cup in the second round with a 3-2 defeat against fellow strugglers Wolves.

That led to West Ham issuing a statement acknowledging "results and performances on the pitch over the past two seasons have not met the standards we set for ourselves".

However, disgruntled fans staged a demonstration against the club's board before the Palace match and now the owners have reacted by dismissing Potter.

Poor results on the pitch led to Potter becoming a viral trend on social media, with people using AI technology to swap his face on to other celebrities, including Barbie, Donald Trump and the Chuckle Brothers.

Speaking on Friday, Potter said he had not been taking it too seriously: "It made my 15-year-old son laugh a lot so you have to accept what comes with it [the job].

"At times [that is] ridicule but that is just the environment we are in and it is what it is."

Image source, Getty Images

West ham have dismissed boss Graham Potter with the side 19th in the Premier League after earning only three points from five games this season - and we want your views.

So, what do you make of the timing of the news, do you agree with the decision and what are the main challenges for the next person in the hot seat?

Get in touch with your views here

Image source, Getty Images

Here is the West Ham statement on the dismissal of Graham Potter in full:

"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.

"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 under way. The club will be making no further comment at this time."

Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham boss Graham Potter has been speaking to the media before Monday's Premier League game against Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Potter began by confirming there are no fresh injury concerns for the Hammers, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka still out with a "stomach problem".

• When asked about West Ham's poor run of form, Potter said: "You have to accept that at the highest level the margins are small. We have to keep moving forward and try to change it. That's the job, that's life and we are looking forward to changing that dynamic."

• He added: "Anything that is worth having in life you have to accept there will be struggle. Football is tough."

• When asked if he knew he had become a meme on social media, Potter replied: "Yes, I am aware of it. It made my 15-year-old son laugh a lot so you have to accept what comes with it [the job]. It is what it is."

• On if he has a favourite meme: "No, not really. I haven't given it too much thought. I've got a few more important things than that, to be honest."

• With speculation continuing to surround his future in the job, Potter said he has held "positive talks" with the club's ownership.

• However, he added: "Nobody is happy with where we are at, but at the same time you have to look at the context and not get caught in the noise."

• On Everton: "They've been good [this season], as you would expect from a David Moyes team, and their new stadium has given everybody a lift."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news