The Graham Potter statistic which could now be bad news for Chelsea as West Ham confirm his appointment

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Graham Potter has sealed his return to management this week by taking his first job since his Chelsea exit in April 2023.

West Ham confirmed on Thursday morning that Graham Potter, 49, has officially been appointed the new head coach at the London Stadium.

Even though Potter lasted less than seven months in charge as the Chelsea manager, his stock remained relatively high after previous success in his coaching career with the likes of Brighton and Ostersund.

The Englishman is taking charge of a West Ham side that sits 14th in the Premier League table following struggles under Julen Lopetegui. However, there’s no doubt that the Hammers squad is stacked with a lot of talent.

Apparently, Potter could take some Chelsea staff members with him to West Ham by taking Ben Roberts (goalkeeping coach) and Kyle Macaulay (recruitment analyst).

• READ MORE: Graham Potter not happy with one thing Chelsea’s owners did when he was the manager

Graham Potter statistic may be bad news for Chelsea

Like at any club, a fast start is going to be so important for Potter at West Ham. He’ll be desperate to build momentum with some positive results while also implementing his possession-based style of football.

The statistics show that Potter actually made a blistering start when he took charge at Chelsea in 2022…

Interestingly, Potter picked up six wins and three draws in his opening nine matches as the Chelsea boss. Of course, things eventually got away from him and his team, resulting in his early sacking.

But, West Ham fans should be very encouraged and hopeful that their new manager can hit the ground running.

It may bad news for Chelsea to see that they host their London rivals and welcome Potter back to Stamford Bridge at the start February. If West Ham are still enjoying a new manager bounce, it’s a fixture that suddenly becomes a lot tougher.

Here is a look at the opening six fixtures for Potter with the Hammers…

Could Graham Potter raid his former club for players?

Interestingly, West Ham are linked in the transfer rumour mill with a couple of Chelsea players already, so let’s see if Potter gets a favour from his former employer.

West Ham like Chelsea midfielders Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka as they eye reinforcements for the centre of the park.

In fairness, Dewsbury-Hall and Chukwuemeka are on the fringes of the Blues squad, which is why allowing them to leave in this January window would make sense. We think both have the individual ability to make an impact at a club like West Ham, too.