West Ham ace Lucas Paqueta (credit: Imago)
Sat 30 November 2024 18:29, UK
West Ham quite simply have to replace Lucas Paqueta at half-time as Gary Neville’s comments were proven right in an early horror show against Arsenal at the London Stadium.
Speaking on Sky Sports (30 November, 5:41 pm), Neville picked out Paqueta as at fault for the Hammers going 1-0 down to the Gunners on Saturday, being pulled out of position for Gabriel’s headed opener.
Things soon went from bad to worse for Paqueta, conceding a penalty at 2-0 to allow Martin Odegaard to make it three, yet with Arsenal later 4-0 up, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson pulled two goals back before another penalty saw Bukayo Saka make it 5-2 to the Gunners at the break.
“I said about Paqueta at the front, just watch him – he gets pulled forward, he gets pulled forward out of his zone, do not get pulled forward when you’re in that zone”, Neville said after the first goal.
“You’ve got to hold your nerve Paqueta, and you don’t – you leave that gap in behind, and it leaves the rest of them no chance.”
West Ham can turn things around by dragging off Lucas Paqueta
Entering the half-time break 5-2 down following a frankly unbelievable first 45 minutes at the London Stadium, some Irons fans may have their tails up with hopes of the unlikeliest of comebacks.
However, there’s next to no chance of them doing so with Paqueta in the middle of the park, given the Brazilian has offered next to nothing going forward and arguably cost them two goals at the other end.
Conceding a set-piece goal against Arsenal is hardly unique to the Hammers, but Paqueta so easily vacating the space for Gabriel to head home just 10 minutes in will have left Julen Lopetegui crestfallen.
However, Paqueta’s lazy effort on Saka in the box gave referee Anthony Taylor an easy decision to make – with the Brazilian knowing full well that those types of challenges are an attacking winger’s dream.
As his side showed against Newcastle United last time out, Lopetegui knows he can still do damage to the Premier League’s top teams, but Paqueta’s first-half impact has been damage of a different kind.
In other West Ham news, one of Lopetegui’s biggest underachievers this season has been nominated for a presitigious FIFA award.
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