Gary Lineker says West Ham star had ‘awful debut’ vs Sunderland but there’s a silver lining
West Ham endured a disappointing 3-0 loss to Sunderland in their opening game of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign on Saturday.
Newly promoted side Sunderland were dominant in the second half as they made West Ham look like Championship opposition.
The loss has compounded pressure on Graham Potter, whose side could’ve won three Premier League away games in a row for the first time since 2021, should they have emerged victorious.
All three of the goals were avoidable, and Gary Lineker was disappointed in one player in particular in the way he played.
West Ham will see ‘much better’ from Hermansen after poor debut
One part of West Ham’s transfer window Potter will be pleased with is their recruitment in goal.
John Victor had looked set to join the Hammers from Botafogo before changing his mind on the move, and West Ham also pushed to sign Sheffield Wednesday’s Pierce Charles as a backup keeper.
However, it is Mads Hermansen who has been recruited as the new number one in East London.
The former Leicester keeper didn’t have the best debut against Sunderland, but Lineker believes he will come good in the claret and blue side.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Lineker said: “Yeah, Hermanson was a Leicester goalkeeper of the previous season. They obviously spent quite a few quid on him. I mean, I really like him.
“I mean, he’s been a brilliant shot stripper, but it was an awful debut.
“You thought he could have got the first one, maybe not. But the third one went straight. He tried to push it out and missed it.
“Yeah, he had a bad day. I’ve seen a lot of him and I’m confident that, for West Ham fans, I’m confident that you’ll see much better from him going forward. I think he’s a top keeper.”
Hermansen to retain his place vs Chelsea
Despite a poor start for Hermansen, he is unlikely to lose his place in the starting lineup against Chelsea.
| Mads Hermansen’s 2024/25 Premier League statistics | Total |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Clean sheets | 1 |
| Goals conceded per game | 2.1 |
Potter has been notably disappointed with Alphonse Areola since he arrived at the London Stadium, and the Frenchman is unlikely to play any further part with the Hammers.
Therefore, supporters have no choice but to hope that Hermansen comes good this season.
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