West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos has come under heavy criticism from fans for his role in Chelsea’s opening goal during their recent Premier League clash. Chelsea took an early lead just four minutes into the game when Nicolas Jackson netted his third goal of the season, putting the Blues ahead. Jackson’s second goal came soon after, in the 18th minute, as he raced through on goal and slotted the ball past West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
Despite not being directly involved in Jackson’s run on the left flank, Mavropanos became the target of frustration from West Ham supporters. Many believed he was too slow to recover to the center of the pitch and could have done more to assist Edson Alvarez, who was left alone to track Jackson. Fans voiced their displeasure on social media, with one saying, “What on earth was Mavropanos doing for the goal? No effort to get across and decides to mark space instead.”
Another fan pointed out a concerning pattern in Mavropanos’ performances, writing, “Three league games in a row Mavropanos has been terrible for a goal. Get him out of the team now.” The criticism didn’t stop there, as another added, “Mavropanos not closing Jackson down when he can see Alvarez being beaten. Abysmal for a CB yet again.” Another fan fumed, “That was far, far too easy. Mavropanos looked like the slowest centre-back in the world there,” while another simply labeled the defending as “pathetic.”
West Ham have had a mixed start to their Premier League campaign under new manager Julen Lopetegui, earning just four points from their first four matches. Their only victory so far came in a hard-fought away match against Crystal Palace last month. However, they’ve struggled to find consistency, suffering defeats to title contenders Manchester City and an in-form Aston Villa. In their most recent outing, the Hammers were held to a 1-1 draw against Fulham, with Danny Ings scoring a dramatic 95th-minute equalizer to snatch a point.
Lopetegui, who took over from long-time manager David Moyes at the start of the season, is still finding his feet with the team. Moyes departed West Ham after a successful four-and-a-half-year stint, which culminated in the club securing its first European trophy. However, with performances like the one against Chelsea, Lopetegui faces mounting pressure to tighten up his defense and get more out of his squad. The early season struggles, combined with critical mistakes from players like Mavropanos, have left fans eager for improvements as the campaign progresses.