Credit: Imago/Sky Sports

Chris Smith

Sat 23 August 2025 8:00, UK

Mads Hermansen is just two games into his West Ham United career, but already, he’s facing the prospect of being dropped.

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The Danish goalkeeper was part of the Leicester City side that was relegated from the Premier League last season, but was snapped up by West Ham to remain in the top flight.

Hermansen didn’t make a great start to life as a Hammer, however, with newly-promoted Sunderland thrashing his new side 3-0 on the opening day.

Things got even worse for the 25-year-old as West Ham were humiliated 5-1 at home against London rivals Chelsea on Friday.

It should be mentioned immediately that Hermansen was far from the only problem for West Ham on Friday, with Graham Potter’s men putting in a shocking all-round performance in a 5-1 defeat.

However, the goalkeeper didn’t exactly help matters.

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While conceding five goals, Hermansen managed just two saves on the night and never looked assured between the posts at any point.

Hermansen flapped at a Pedro Neto corner in the 58th minute, allowing Trevoh Chalobah to apply the finish to make it 5-1 to Chelsea — with FotMob crediting the gloveman with an error leading to a goal.



2025/26 Premier League statsMads HermansenGoals conceded8Clean sheets0Saves4Goals prevented-1.07Errors leading to a goal1Mads Hermansen’s 2025/26 Premier League stats

Four of Chelsea’s five goals on Friday were to Hermansen’s right, alongside two of three for Sunderland on the opening weekend, highlighting a possible weakness on that side for the goalkeeper.

What’s more, the former Brondby man has now conceded twice as many goals (8) as he’s made saves (4) in a West Ham shirt, and while he prevented 0.29 goals on Friday, that figure stood at -1.36 at the Stadium of Light — showing he’s not exactly offered the improvement over Alphonse Areola that many had hoped.

Hermansen will also not be unaware of the fact that the home supporters ironically cheered him holding onto a Chelsea shot.

Graham Potter may now be looking at taking Hermansen out of the firing line, with Areola and Wes Foderingham waiting in the wings.

“Confidence is low.

The goalkeeper doesn’t make it any easier – he’s having a really difficult time,” former Tottenham and Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports after the match.

“He probably needs to be changed.

He’s already made high-profile mistakes.

Areola might have to come in. 

“He doesn’t fill me with any confidence right now.”

Football Insider verdict

Two games are never enough evidence to judge a team or make an accurate prediction on how things are going to go across an entire season.

But the signs are very worrying indeed for West Ham.

The Hammers are now 8-1 down on aggregate to start the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, and face the prospect of going up against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham in their next two games, so things won’t get easier.

This is the first time West Ham have ever conceded eight goals across their opening two games in a top-flight season, while their only strike so far was one from distance that Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez should have done better with.

West Ham fans are desperate to see their side move away from the bottom half of the Premier League, but that doesn’t look likely given they’ve failed to address the issues that dogged them at both ends of the pitch last season.

It could be a long campaign for the Hammers, who look more vulnerable than anyone right now to a relegation battle.

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