It’s no secret that West Ham have endured a disastrous start to the 2025/26 season.
A messy summer recruitment process saw them lose major players without adequately replacing them, and the results have reflected it.
The Hammers have lost four of their opening five Premier League games, most recently falling 2-1 to Crystal Palace. They’ve also been dumped out of the EFL Cup by Wolves, another hammer blow in an already miserable campaign.
Plenty of reasons have been suggested for the slump — from Graham Potter’s management, to poor transfer business, to a general lack of quality in the squad. But one West Ham star believes the problem is far more specific.
Mavropanos Outlines West Ham’s Problems
Speaking to the club’s official website, Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos was introspective about West Ham’s plight, pointing the finger at their defensive frailties — and particularly, their set-piece woes.
Across just six games in all competitions, the Irons have shipped 16 goals, including five against Chelsea and three apiece against Wolves, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur. By comparison, they’ve scored seven — not great, but nowhere near as catastrophic as their defensive record.
Alarmingly, seven of those goals conceded have come directly from corners. While much of the blame has fallen on summer signing Mads Hermansen and back-up keeper Alphonse Areola, Mavropanos insists the issue is collective.
“I don’t have much to say because really I think the energy we put in is good,” he said following the defeat to Palace. “I really try to understand what’s going on, but I think we just have to work harder and concentrate more when we defend corners because nowadays you can see that all the teams give a lot of attention to this, as we do.”
He added: “So yeah, I think we have to focus more on that and be ready for every action.”
It may sound simple, but Mavropanos may be right — knowing your faults is half the battle. Whether Graham Potter can see it too and address the issue quickly enough to turn West Ham’s season around, however, remains to be seen.
