Paqueta torn to shreds by Wolves star in West Ham loss at Molineux
West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta had an underwhelming game as Graham Potter’s side suffered a 1-0 defeat at Molineux.
Jorgen Strand Larsen scored the only goal of the game as West Ham’s midfield were overrun and did not match up to Wolves’ intensity.
The defeat leaves Potter’s side 16th in the league table as Wolves have cut down the gap to the Irons to just five points.
With Potter’s midfield struggling to control the game throughout the 90 minutes, pundit Clinton Morrison criticised the West Ham midfielders.
Paqueta’s forgetful day at the office
The first half saw West Ham being completely outplayed by Vitor Pereira’s men. Wolves dominated the midfield battle as their superiority in the middle of the park allowed the hosts to create better goalscoring chances.
While Paqueta was present in the midfield trying to create something, he lacked the energy in the middle of the park.
Along with Paqueta, James Ward-Prowse also struggled to neutralise Wolves’ Joao Gomes, who dominated the Irons midfield.
| Opposition | Home/Away |
| Bournemouth | Home |
| Liverpool | Away |
| Southampton | Home |
| Brighton | Away |
Looking at Gomes’ brilliant display, Morrison criticised the Hammers midfield. He said [8:12 PM, 1 April]: “Let me tell you, Gomes is bossing West Ham midfield. Paqueta and Ward-Prowse, their legs look like they can’t get nowhere near him.
“He just picks the ball up, goes through all of them, plays it to Larsen and he plays it to Muntesi. He should be scoring.”
West Ham now winless in three games
The East London side have now suffered two defeats in their last three games. West Ham have picked up only 11 points since Potter’s appointment in January.
Potter was appointed to take West Ham to the upper half of the Premier League as Julen Lopetegui failed to deliver on his promises. The Hammers spent over £150 million in the summer transfer window as they aimed to bridge the gap to the top six.
However, poor squad management and lack of dynamism in the team has seen them fall agonisingly short of their season goals.
The away loss at Molineux is yet another example of the West Ham midfield being dominated by the opposition and Potter’s failure to secure a favourable result.
The problems in the midfield continue to exist and if West Ham want to improve their results, they will need to sort out their issues in the midfield first.
The Irons will next host Andoni Iraola’s high-flying Bournemouth on Saturday. Then, another tricky away trip awaits them as they travel to Anfield to play Premier League leaders Liverpool. If Hammers do not start picking up points soon, Potter’s position might be in danger.