West Ham United closed out a forgettable 2024/25 Premier League season with a commanding 3-1 win against already-relegated Ipswich Town.
It didn’t do much to help their final standing as they finished 14th on the table, and their performances in domestic competitions offer no reprieve.
West Ham started the season with Julen Lopetegui at the helm, but he struggled to prove he’s the man to bring the glory days back to the London Stadium.
Graham Potter took over mid-season but couldn’t do much with the dysfunctional squad he inherited from his predecessor.
Whether or not Potter can match the glory days of the David Moyes era remains to be seen, but at least he’ll head into a new season with a clean slate.
West Ham have plenty of rebuilding to do if they’re to achieve their goals next season. They’ve come alive in the transfer market in recent weeks but have yet to announce their first addition.
Mohammed Kudus’ departure to Tottenham Hotspur raised plenty of eyebrows, but it gave West Ham the breathing room to carry on with their transfer plans.
It remains to be seen how the new-look team will shape up ahead of the new campaign, but Potter will need all the firepower he can muster to navigate a tricky run of games in the opening stages.
Fans who buy West Ham tickets will be keen to see the Hammers get off to a flying start, but much will depend on how they line up for the 2025/26 curtain raiser.
Can West Ham break their opening day curse?
West Ham get the new season underway with a trip to the Stadium of Light, where they will face newly promoted Sunderland.
The Black Cats clawed their way back to the top flight following a thrilling Championship play-off final against Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium.
Many will have their money on West Ham, but history tells a more sobering story.
West Ham have lost their opening Premier League fixture more times than any other side (16) and have shipped in a staggering 50 goals on matchday one.
Coming up against a newly promoted side gives them the perfect platform to break the curse, but Potter’s record at West Ham leaves plenty to be desired.
The former Chelsea gaffer oversaw just five wins from 18 Premier League games last season (D5, L8).
That record makes for grim reading, and if it doesn’t improve at the early stages of next season, it wouldn’t be surprising if West Ham are forced into yet another mid-season managerial change.
London derbies dominate the early days
One glance at West Ham’s fixture schedule puts even more pressure on Potter’s side to get off to a winning start.
A week after facing Sunderland, Potter and his troops will return to the London Stadium to take on his former employers, Chelsea.
His return to Stamford Bridge last season ended in a 2-1 defeat, so he’d be keen to get one over the Blues when they square off on August 23.
That game is expected to draw a large crowd with fans flocking to Seatsnet.com to buy Chelsea tickets ahead of the clash.
After facing Chelsea, the Hammers square off with 2024/25 surprise package Nottingham Forest at City Ground before back-to-back capital derbies against Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace.
West Ham will face three London derbies in their opening five games of the season. Further down the line, they’re also set to kick off October with back-to-back derbies against Arsenal and Brentford.
The cluster of derbies early sets the tone for the rest of the season, and it could either spell trouble for Potter or justify the club’s decision to hand him the reins.
What will success look like for West Ham next season?
After last season’s exploits, West Ham fans will be wise not to expect too much going into 2025/26.
However, after enjoying so much success during the Moyes era, the club faithful are well within their rights to demand a top-half finish.
It may not be where the Hammers want to be, but it’ll be a massive improvement and an ideal foundation to build upon moving forward.
A decent run in at least one of the domestic competitions will also be used to gauge their ambitions.
But what’s perhaps the most important objective for the season is for Potter’s side to show a clear identity, which they sorely lacked during the second half of last season.
Make no mistake, the fixture list is daunting, and Potter has little room for error if he’s going to restore West Ham to the upper echelons of the Premier League.
West Ham fans have seen what the club is capable of. They want to believe again. It’s up to Potter to give them a reason to. But it’s also up to the club to give him the tools to make it happen.
West Ham’s 2025/26 Premier League fixtures
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Sunderland v West Ham United
- 23/08/2025 15:00 West Ham United v Chelsea
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Nottingham Forest v West Ham United
- 13/09/2025 15:00 West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur
- 20/09/2025 15:00 West Ham United v Crystal Palace
- 27/09/2025 15:00 Everton v West Ham United
- 04/10/2025 15:00 Arsenal v West Ham United
- 18/10/2025 15:00 West Ham United v Brentford
- 25/10/2025 15:00 Leeds United v West Ham United
- 01/11/2025 15:00 West Ham United v Newcastle United
- 08/11/2025 15:00 West Ham United v Burnley
- 22/11/2025 15:00 Bournemouth v West Ham United
- 29/11/2025 15:00 West Ham United v Liverpool
- 03/12/2025 20:00 Manchester United v West Ham United
- 06/12/2025 15:00 Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United
- 13/12/2025 15:00 West Ham United v Aston Villa
- 20/12/2025 15:00 Manchester City v West Ham United
- 27/12/2025 15:00 West Ham United v Fulham
- 30/12/2025 20:00 West Ham United v Brighton & Hove Albion
- 03/01/2026 15:00 Wolverhampton Wanderers v West Ham United
- 07/01/2026 20:00 West Ham United v Nottingham Forest
- 17/01/2026 15:00 Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United
- 24/01/2026 15:00 West Ham United v Sunderland
- 31/01/2026 15:00 Chelsea v West Ham United
- 07/02/2026 15:00 Burnley v West Ham United
- 11/02/2026 20:00 West Ham United v Manchester United
- 21/02/2026 15:00 West Ham United v Bournemouth
- 28/02/2026 15:00 Liverpool v West Ham United
- 04/03/2026 20:00 Fulham v West Ham United
- 14/03/2026 15:00 West Ham United v Manchester City
- 21/03/2026 15:00 Aston Villa v West Ham United
- 11/04/2026 15:00 West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
- 18/04/2026 15:00 Crystal Palace v West Ham United
- 25/04/2026 15:00 West Ham United v Everton
- 02/05/2026 15:00 Brentford v West Ham United
- 09/05/2026 15:00 West Ham United v Arsenal
- 17/05/2026 15:00 Newcastle United v West Ham United
- 24/05/2026 16:00 West Ham United v Leeds United
