Nuno blames West Ham star for Villa defeat

West Ham were bitterly disappointed to lose against West Ham on Sunday, in a match they had been leading twice. Mateus Fernandes and Jarrod Bowen scored, but a own goal from Konstantinos Mavropanos and Morgan Rogers’ second half brace ensured victory at the London Stadium for the visitors.

There was a lot of frustration among West Ham supporters at the defeat, with the same also being said for manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Both parties aimed their frustration at one player in particular: Lucas Paqueta.

Speaking to West Ham TV (via Hammers News) after the Aston Villa defeat, Nuno pinpointed the moment where Paqueta gave the ball away in the lead-up to Rogers’ first goal at the London Stadium as one that caused huge frustration for him.

“It was a game that I think we had a lot of positives, but at the same time a lot of things that we should do better. There’s a major pivotal moment of the game, it’s the beginning of the second half, we are in front, we are leading, and we allowed Villa to get back in the game. It has been a factor in recent matches, we are leading and the leads are getting away from us.”

It has been a difficult couple of seasons for Paqueta, although a weight has now been lifted with his FA charge for alleged spot-fixing being dropped a few months ago. Despite this, he has struggled to recapture his best form in a West Ham jersey, which has led to speculation on his future at the London Stadium ahead of the January transfer window opening in a couple of weeks.

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