Emerson Palmieri reacts to Alphonse Areola announcement at West Ham
Alphonse Areola was the subject of a new announcement at West Ham as Graham Potter’s first four months in charge took yet another blow.
The former Brighton and Chelsea figure was dealt his ninth defeat since walking through the doors at the London Stadium, losing 2-1 to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, 18 May.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenkovic were on target for the visitors, with Nuno Espirito Santo aiming to take Forest to the Champions League, and Jarrod Bowen’s late goal was only a consolation.
With Areola in between the sticks for the clash, Potter was put under more pressure after failing to give Lukasz Fabianski game time in his final game for the Hammers, having made over 200 appearances for the club.
Despite the fan fury, the Frenchman was still the subject of a new announcement emerging from East London.
Alphonse Areola credited with fantastic save at West Ham
Taking to Instagram (19 May), the official club account wrote: “Areola’s super save against Manchester City was voted your Save of the Season,” being supported by a like from Emerson Palmieri.
The save meant very little in the grand scheme of the game, with Pep Guardiola‘s side winning 3-1 in the third match of the 2024/25 Premier League season, and the goalkeeper was also substituted at half-time.
Graham Potter to be sacked after four months at the London Stadium
Football Insider verdict
David Sullivan and Karren Brady are unlikely to stop the revolving door of managers over the coming weeks, with Potter under immense pressure from West Ham fans following an awful first impression.
The move to replace David Moyes with Julen Lopetegui backfired almost immediately, and while some fans were excited about the appointment of Potter, his reign has not worked out in the slightest.
It can be argued that, until he is given a proper pre-season and a summer transfer window, the 49-year-old cannot be judged, but he is already making a case for his own sacking in East London.
| Manager | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
| Graham Potter | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 22.2 |
Had the manager been without Bowen, the four wins since his arrival likely would have been draws or losses, and the Hammers are seemingly now at risk of losing their star player.
Mick Brown told Football Insider in February that Liverpool are keeping tabs on Bowen ahead of the summer, and losing the former Hull City winger would surely be the final nail in Potter’s coffin.