West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta sent off in defeat to Liverpool
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed he will speak with Lucas Paqueta following the forward’s red card during the club’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at the London Stadium on Sunday, reports BritPanorama.
Paqueta was shown a yellow card for dissent in the final minutes of the match and subsequently received a second booking after continuing to argue with referee Darren England. The incident worsened an already disappointing day for West Ham, who, despite a promising start, conceded two goals from Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, effectively ending their hopes of a comeback.
Nuno acknowledged the need to address Paqueta’s behaviour, stating, “I’m not going to comment too much. First of all, I’m going to speak to Lucas and try to understand his frustrations and his behaviour. We need all the players, and we are going to need them until the end of the season. Every player out, we’re going to miss them.”
Reflecting on his team’s performance, Nuno noted, “It’s a disappointing day. We felt we were in the game, we were controlling the game. A lack of concentration cost us. The final pass, the final cross wasn’t there. No way, no way [is it a big step backwards]. We didn’t perform as well as we should have. We’ll bounce back.”
For Liverpool, the victory was a much-needed boost, following a challenging streak that saw them win just three of their previous 12 matches. Both Isak and Gakpo’s goals enhanced the urgency for manager Arne Slot, who had faced mounting pressure. Slot commented, “There’s definitely a feeling of relief because if you have lost so many times, then winning is important. We hardly conceded a chance. We played the game I wanted us to play.”
With upcoming fixtures, the stakes remain high for both teams as they navigate the demands of an intense Premier League calendar. West Ham will be looking to regroup after this setback, while Liverpool hopes to build on this victory as they prepare for their next challenge against Sunderland. In football, fortunes can shift rapidly, a reminder that every match still holds its weight in the balance.
