The traditional pre-game press conferences rarely throw up nuggets of insight as head coaches fulfil their media obligations largely out of necessity, so that people like us have something to write about heading into weekend fixtures. Arsenal’s boss Mikel Arteta waxed lyrical about taking the game to West Ham, starting on the front foot, being aggressive, all the usual fighting talk from a manager desperate to win something this season.
However during the press conference he did step out of character with a little tribute to Graham Potter that was actually quite revealing, as he lamented the former West Ham coach’s sacking:
“A little word for Graham, because I think he is an exceptional manager,” (Wrong).
He has done that in various contexts in his career for a very, very long time. And then as a man, talking to a lot of players and people who have had the joy of working with him…
“Sad to see him go, especially with some of the things that happened on social media. A lot of the things that, in my opinion, to have the best league in the world, we have to improve. We have to make sure the people that are so important in our league are taken care of in the right way.
“I think we can do better in that and I hope we can learn from that.”
I suspect Arteta is sad to see the back of West Ham’s lame duck manager simply because Arsenal’s manager is the ultimate pragmatist. The easiest path to brushing West Ham aside would undoubtedly to have been to take them on with Potter in place.
Since West Ham beat Arteta’s Arsenal last season the Hammers’ performance has nosedived.
Nobody would have given the Irons a chance with Potter still limping along at the helm, With Nuno Espirito Santo, they are more of an unknown quantity, and no doubt, for that reason, Arteta was sad to see the back of Graham Potter.
Nuno’s statistics against Arsenal have now become even worse when compared to Potter’s.
Based on estimates, probably only 2 to 4 current or former Premier League managers have a better win percentage against Arsenal than Graham Potter, depending on how you measure it (number of matches, competitions included, home/away). Nuno Espírito Santo has a worse record.
We will never know if Potter would have turned things round. We won’t know if he could have beaten Everton the way he did Forest. We won’t know if he could have beaten Arsenal again. He certainly had a great record against Arsenal and had Artetas number. Let’s hope Santo can do the same. I think Potter was a victim of fan protests against the board as much as anything. The board sacked him as a scapegoat to take the heat off themselves I’m sure.
can’t help but think Arteta isn’t the only manager glad to see potter go With him still in charge it would have been certain relegation
Nobody gave us a chance last year either Martin. Three in a row? Stranger things have happened.
Graham Potter has won 4 matches against Arsenal as a manager.
These victories have come with at least three different clubs: Östersund, Brighton & Hove Albion, and West Ham.
One of those wins with West Ham was a 1–0 away victory at the Emirates in February 2025.
With this record, I think it’s wrong to say that West Ham under Graham Potter would stand no chance against Arsenal.