Lucas Paqueta ‘ready for West Ham redemption’ after what he did v Fulham
Lucas Paqueta has been a shadow of his former West Ham self since the 2024/25 campaign kicked off.
While the Brazilian only notched four goals and six assists last season, he was integral to how the Hammers played under David Moyes, though his performances drifted off as the season went on.
That trend continued into the current campaign, with Julen Lopetegui struggling to get much out of the 27-year-old star, notching just two goals in 18 appearances.
However, since Graham Potter’s arrival at the London Stadium, he has looked like an entirely new player, scoring in back-to-back games and fighting endlessly for the team.
Having played in an “unfamiliar” striker role [The Standard], eyebrows were raised when the starting XI was named before facing the Cottagers at the London Stadium on Wednesday (15 January).
Lucas Paqueta stars in West Ham United win v Fulham
With Alex Iwobi grabbing a “very strange” brace at the London Stadium, Paqueta’s 67th-minute strike turned out to be crucial for the Hammers to claim all three points.
Potter’s only other striker option was Danny Ings, but with the 32-year-old struggling for game time, the Brazilian stepped up in a major way and fought for his teammates.
As well as hitting the back of the next, Paqueta made five passes into the final third, completed 100 per cent of his dribbles and won the most duels of anyone on the pitch (12), as per FotMob.
Having won 67 per cent of his tackles (2/3), 69 per cent of his ground duels (9/13), and five free-kicks to relieve the pressure on his team, he was a completely different player to the one fans have seen recently.
Ranking in the bottom 13 and four percentiles for non-penalty goals and assists [FBref], respectively, the Brazilian’s standards have completely dropped over the last few months.
Already under Potter, his attitude looks to have changed and he is returning to his usual status as a match-winner at the London Stadium.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers have been called out as “embarrassing” by Darren Bent following transfer news he was told.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.