West Ham fans turn on Julen Lopetegui as substitution BOOED during Chelsea humbling
Julen Lopetegui replaced David Moyes as West Ham manager in the summer and three straight defeats at the London Stadium has seen the supporters voice their displeasure
by Felix Keith · The MirrorJulen Lopetegui is under huge pressure already at West Ham after the home crowd turned on him during a miserable defeat by Chelsea.
Nicolas Jackson scored twice in the first half as Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 win in a one-sided contest at the London Stadium in Saturday’s early kick-off. Jackson put the ball through Alphonse Areola’s legs after West Ham switched off from a quickly-taken free-kick before running through to double the away side’s lead.
Cole Palmer added a third just after the break with a classy near-post finish off the inside of the post and Chelsea rarely looked troubled. West Ham have kicked off the season with three straight defeats at home for the first time in the club’s history and Lopetegui is already under the pump.
His decision to replace Edson Alvarez and Crysencio Summerville for Carlos Soler and Michail Antonio in the 54th minute was met with loud boos from the crowd. Summerville had been one of few bright sparks for the Hammers and could have earned his side a penalty when Wesley Fofana pulled him back in the box.
VAR decided to uphold the on-field referee’s decision and Chelsea got away with a marginal call. But Summerville received a standing ovation from much of the London Stadium and there were more boos at the full-time whistle.
Former West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green summed up the situation on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Lopetegui will be under pressure. It's a performance that screams pressure all over it, the manner of the defeat, against London rivals. The camera has just shown Karren Brady and David Sullivan – I've seen those faces before.”
The West Ham owner and vice-chairwoman may be regretting their decision to sack David Moyes and bring in former Wolves boss Lopetegui over the summer. The Spaniard has backed with a net spend of £85.2million in the transfer window, with Summerville, Max Kilman, Niclas Fullkrug, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luis Guilherme and Guido Rodriguez brought in.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Julen Lopetegui turn things around at West Ham, or is he the wrong man for the job? Comment below.
They are yet to see a return on that investment with West Ham having taken just four points from their opening five games. Chelsea have followed Aston Villa and Manchester City in taking away three points from east London, while the Hammers beat Crystal Palace 2-0 and drew 1-1 with Fulham.
Asked about the poor home form before the visit of Chelsea, Lopetegui said: “In each match in the Premier League there are difficulties. All of the teams have quality, and are able to beat anyone.
“It's true we've had tough matches so far, but that's in the past. It doesn't matter if we're home or away, we just have to compete. We're 100 per cent focused on this game – we know it will be hard but we're confident in our strengths.”
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches 'lowest price' Premier League package
£43 (was £52)
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £216 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
With Ultra HD included at no extra cost, football fans can enjoy the 2024/25 season with crystal clear picture quality.