Alan Shearer was furious with Lucas Paquetá after the West Ham midfielder landed himself in yet another Premier League suspension for dissent.
West Ham’s unbeaten league run came to an end on 30 November as Liverpool secured a 2-0 win at the London Stadium. The match took a further turn for the worse when Paquetá was dismissed late on, picking up two yellow cards for arguing with referee Darren England. The Brazilian lost his cool over a foul awarded against his side with six minutes remaining, ignoring warnings and ultimately talking himself into a red card.
Paquetá slammed for avoidable dismissal
After the match, Paquetá responded on X to criticism from former West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green, who branded his behaviour “ridiculous.” Paquetá suggested his irritation reflected everything he has dealt with this year, having only recently been cleared of spot-fixing allegations by an independent panel.
Micah Richards acknowledged the emotional strain Paquetá has been under but insisted that he must still show more discipline on the pitch:
“To be sent off for dissent twice – he knows better. He’s right that he deserves more support, but you can’t let your teammates down like that,” Richards said on Match of the Day. “He’s a brilliant player who can change games, but this was a silly decision.”
The incident comes just after Paquetá returned from a suspension for accumulating five yellow cards, which left Shearer unimpressed. “And he’s just come back from a ban for five yellow cards. Madness,” the Premier League legend said.
His absence is a major setback for a West Ham side already struggling for consistency.
A night to forget for Paquetá and West Ham
Even before the red card, Paquetá’s performance against Liverpool left plenty to be desired:
- He created no chances
- His only shot failed to hit the target
- He lost eight duels, the most of any player in the match
West Ham as a whole offered little threat. Nuno Espírito Santo’s team failed to record a single shot on target from seven attempts and never looked capable of hurting the defending champions. It was a disappointing setback for a side that had only just begun climbing out of danger.
Results elsewhere softened the blow, with Leeds United and Burnley also losing, allowing West Ham to remain 17th. But with Manchester United up next — and Paquetá suspended again — Nuno will be under pressure to deliver a response.