Graham Potter has expressed his deep disappointment following West Ham's exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Aston Villa. In his first match back in management, Potter's side initially took the lead through Lucas Paqueta, only to see their advantage slip away as Villa struck back with goals from Amadou Onana and Morgan Rogers, securing their place in the fourth round.
Potter's return to the managerial arena comes nearly two years after his dismissal from Chelsea in April 2023. He stepped in to replace Julen Lopetegui just days before this encounter. West Ham began the match brightly, controlling possession for significant stretches. However, injuries to key players Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville during the first half severely impacted their performance in the latter stages.
“Our performance gave me a lot of encouragement; the way the players tried to do what we asked them to do was really encouraging,” Potter reflected. He added, “It is just that you can't replicate that feeling when the opposition score and it's into your stomach, but it is what it is. We had a couple of chances at the end but it wasn't meant to be, and their first goal came from a corner that we didn't think it was. We are disappointed.”
The defeat was particularly painful for West Ham, marked by a five-minute spell in the second half during which they conceded twice. Potter voiced concerns over Fullkrug's fitness, who joined the club for £27 million last summer but has previously faced a three-month layoff due to an Achilles issue. “It's quite a severe hamstring when you pull up like that, so that's a concern for us,” he noted. “We need to assess him. Crysencio pulled up a little bit; we didn't think it was worth the risk to carry on.”
In light of the potential absence of these crucial attackers, Potter hinted at the possibility of exploring the transfer market this January. However, he refrained from engaging in speculation regarding a potential move for Manchester United's Marcus Rashford. “We have to see the extent of the injuries and see how long it will take for guys to come back,” he explained. “We don't know the extent. If those are out, it's something we have to look at. I used to say this 20-odd months ago, I only comment on players who are West Ham players. Sometimes things written in the papers aren't always true, and you can get yourself in knots confirming and denying everything. It's about the group collectively doing well. There's no lack of talent at this club.”
Aston Villa's manager, Unai Emery, provided his insights after the match, stating, “West Ham started well and we conceded an easy goal. After we started to dominate the match better, not really creating very good chances to score but stopping them. We needed to be patient and then impose and be consistent in our attack. This club won this competition seven times; we need to be proud of our past but be in the present and the future.”
Rogers, who scored the decisive goal, conveyed optimism regarding the tournament, asserting, “Why can't we win it? Anything can happen in a cup competition.”
This match marks a challenging beginning for Potter as he embarks on his new journey with West Ham, a club steeped in history and high expectations. The coming weeks will be pivotal as he seeks to stabilise the squad and build momentum following this setback.