“Opinion: 35% Duel Success for West Ham’s Struggler Could Cost Julen Lopetegui His Job After Display Against Nottingham Forest”
"Lucas Paqueta's Poor Performance Against Nottingham Forest Could Put Julen Lopetegui's Job at Risk"
West Ham suffered a demoralizing 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in the Premier League on November 2.
Chris Wood opened the scoring for the hosts in the 27th minute, and a red card to Edson Alvarez just before half-time left the Irons vulnerable, allowing Forest to add two more goals in the second half.
Although Alvarez’s dismissal was a setback, several players, particularly Lucas Paqueta, did not escape scrutiny.
Paqueta has struggled this season, scoring only twice in ten league games. Many believe it’s time he’s benched.
It seemed like manager Julen Lopetegui had reached a similar conclusion, with reports suggesting Paqueta would be dropped for the City Ground clash.
However, Lopetegui chose to start him and ultimately received little impact.
Statistics reflect Paqueta’s disappointing performance. According to Sofascore, he lost possession 16 times—only Forest’s Alex Moreno had more turnovers with 17.
Paqueta also lost 13 of his 20 duels, a mere 35 percent success rate, the highest number in the game.
He completed 21 of 28 passes with a 75 percent accuracy, yet only four were in the final third (FotMob), underscoring the team’s struggle in attack.
On the defensive side, Paqueta did win three of his four tackles but was booked in the 77th minute.
Lopetegui is facing mounting pressure at West Ham, and his insistence on starting Paqueta in all but one of their 10 league games has raised concerns, with some wondering if changes are needed to revive the team’s form.
