West Ham United: Pundit awed by 'sharp' Lucas Paqueta in controversial moment v Newcastle
Dean Ashton was left in awe by Lucas Paqueta after the Brazilian played a vital role in Mohammed Kudus' "controversial" goal during the first half of West Ham v Newcastle United on Saturday (30 March).
Though Jarrod Bowen will be awarded the assist for the fine team goal, the Hammers will know just how vital Paqueta was in the build-up, having already claimed an assist for Michail Antonio's earlier effort.
Some will argue that the goal should not have stood, with West Ham taking advantage of Fabian Schar on the ground holding his head, but referee Rob Jones controversially allowed play to continue.
Speaking live via talkSPORT on Saturday (30 March, 1:24pm), Ashton said: "Oh, it's very controversial, especially with it being a head injury for Fabian Schar.
"He's got his hands on his face, still on the floor, feeling he was caught in the face. But Rob Jones allows the quick free-kick to be taken.
"Paqueta, how clever is he? How sharp is he? How intelligent is he? Bowen checks onto his left, and takes a big touch into Kudus' path. It's curling away from Dubravka, who gets a touch, but the power is too much."
Should Mohammed Kudus' goal have stood in West Ham United v Newcastle United?
Following the rules of football, play should have probably been stopped until Schar was back on his feet. It is understandable why fans, players and staff were up in arms during the controversial moment.
However, nowadays, especially in the Premier League, people are becoming bored and frustrated with the amount of play-acting on the pitch, and the situation involving Schar looked like another instance of this.
Despite injuries playing a significant role in the game, with Jamaal Lascelles, Valentino Livramento and Miguel Almiron leaving the pitch prematurely, the Magpies still managed to win 4-3.
The Hammers have also experienced their fair share of injuries, with Paqueta being unavailable for a number of games earlier this season, coinciding with a poor run of results at the London Stadium.
But since returning for the 4-2 win over Brentford on Monday 26 February, the Brazilian has been sensational, to the surprise of absolutely nobody.
In other West Ham news, Gareth Southgate wanted to select a Hammers teammate of Jarrod Bowen’s for his latest squad.
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