Julen Lopetegui defends West Ham record and labels side 'worst team physically'

Former West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has defended his dismal record at the London Stadium after lasting less than one season at the club.

Lopetegui took over from David Moyes during the close-season, and the former Real Madrid boss has torn into the state in which he inherited his squad. The Spaniard was relieved of his duties after picking up 23 points from 20 league games, while they've earned seven from six outings under successor Graham Potter, but Lopetegui has argued he was beginning to move things in the right direction.

Potter oversaw a statement victory on Saturday, with Jarrod Bowen's first-half header securing a 1-0 win away to title-chasing Arsenal. The reverse fixture had brought a 5-2 defeat, with Lopetegui's side finding themselves 4-0 down after just 36 minutes in front of their own fans.

A dismal home defeat to Arsenal was also a component of West Ham's struggles in the second half of last season under Moyes. They won just four league games between January and May, and Lopetegui pointed to that form when defending his own achievements in East London.

“The first half of last season was really good but in the second, West Ham’s form, the trend, was practically relegation," Lopetegui told The Guardian. "The data showed the worst team physically.

"We were No 2 when we left: high-intensity sprints, distance covered, acceleration. We wanted more possession, beginning a process towards something new while avoiding any danger of relegation. We could have been ninth rather than 13th but were roughly where we should be.

"We had good games in ‘our league’: Bournemouth, Brighton, Wolves, Southampton … the only loss was Leicester, when we had 34 shots. At Man City we created more chances than anyone in nine years. At Newcastle I saw something closer to what we wanted. Against Bournemouth we pressed high, created chances.”

Were West Ham too quick to dismiss Julen Lopetegui? Have your say in the comments section

Potter has overseen two victories over top-half opposition in his first six games - something Lopetegui managed just once in his 20 games at the helm. Arsenal might have finished Saturday's game with 10 men, but they struggled to create clear-cut chances before then.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta voiced his frustrations with his own team but also gave credit to Potter's men. "We never get enough positive sequence of actions, one after the other, that could generate threat and momentum in the areas we want to conquer. That allowed the game to be the flick of a coin," he said.

"We allowed them to run with simple giveaways. They are a dangerous team. They have the quality to deliver the moment. After that is becomes a difficult game. Then we get the red card and it's a big mountain to climb. We try to react but we didn't have specific quality moments."

Join our new WhatsApp community and 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 ourPrivacy Notice.