Nuno Espirito Santo plans to discuss Lucas Paqueta's frustration after his unexpected red card during West Ham's 2-0 loss to Liverpool. The Hammers were already behind due to Alexander Isak's goal when Paqueta received two yellow cards for dissent within 54 seconds. Cody Gakpo secured Liverpool's win in stoppage time, leaving West Ham to deal with Paqueta's suspension, who had just returned from a previous ban.
West Ham entered the match with confidence, having secured seven points from their last three games. However, they failed to register a single shot on target at the London Stadium. This defeat leaves them with only 11 points from 13 Premier League matches this season. Only in the 2010-11 and 2017-18 seasons did they have fewer points at this stage.
Nuno expressed his disappointment, stating that despite feeling in control of the game, a lapse in concentration cost them dearly. "We fought against a good team," he remarked, highlighting the absence of crucial final passes and crosses. Despite the setback, Nuno dismissed any notion that losing to the defending champions was a regression for his team.
"I'm not going to comment too much," Nuno told Sky Sports. "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. "
Defeat to Liverpool.
West Ham United (@WestHam)
Paqueta's red card marked his first in 104 Premier League appearances and his first since February 2021 while playing for Lyon against Marseille in Ligue 1. Nuno emphasised that understanding Paqueta's mindset is crucial as they need every player available for the remainder of the season.
Despite not performing as expected against Liverpool, Nuno remains optimistic about West Ham's ability to recover from this defeat. He firmly believes that this loss does not signify a step backwards for his side and is confident they will rebound effectively in upcoming matches.
