There is an element of Lucas Paqueta’s game at West Ham United which often goes unnoticed. But not, it seems, among the Brazilian press.
Mention the former Lyon and AC Milan playmaker, and the thought of Lucas Paqueta usually conjures up images of defence-splitting passes.
Perhaps a jinking run through a forest of legs, or the sort of thumping finish which had Paqueta nominated for Premier League’s Goal of the Month award against Chelsea.
West Ham United winger Crysencio Summerville was quick to talk up Paqueta, meanwhile, when asked to name the most skilful players at the London Stadium this week.
Yet, a deeper look into the stats and another side of the Brazil international emerges. A side which came to the fore even during a brief cameo appearance as Carlo Ancelotti’s free-scoring Selecao put five past South Korea in a Friday friendly.
West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta shows another side in Brazil win
According to data provided by Fotmob, Paqueta actually covers the second most ground on average of any West Ham player. Only Malick Diouf – a player so dynamic and energetic that comparisons were drawn with Tottenham legend Gareth Bale – can beat his 5.3km average.
Paqueta also ranks joint-sixth in the Premier League when it comes to possessions won in the middle third of the pitch.
The industrious Mateus Fernandes is the only Hammer averaging more successful tackles per 90 minutes as well.
And, only seven minutes after his introduction during Brazil’s 5-0 thrashing of South Korea in Seoul, Paqueta halted a rare attack from the home side with by snatching a loose ball on the edge of his own penalty area.
The West Ham number ten then rolled the ball into Mateus Cunha’s path. And, via one superb through ball, the visitors turned defence into attack in an instant before Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior lathered a layer of sickly sweet icing on top of this five-star cake.
In a Brazil roster full of proven quality, Paqueta faces competition from the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro, Joelinton, Rodrygo and Cunha. So, although the legendary Ancelotti is clearly a Paqueta fan already, making a lasting impression in only 20 minutes’ worth of game time will do his hopes of a more regular role no harm at all.
Especially with the World Cup coming up.
“Paqueta came on with enthusiasm” write Amazonas Atual, funnelling any frustration he had at being left out of Ancelotti’s XI in precisely the right way. “He demonstrated grit by stealing the ball that started [move for] the fifth goal.”
Carlo Ancelotti explains why he is such a big Paqueta fan
There was to be no goal this time. He scored a 12th for his country with a fine back-post header against Chile in September. But, in the modern game, Paqueta’s game-breaking technical qualities, combined with an often overlooked work ethic, make him a dream midfielder for a manager like Ancelotti who needs to balance a star-studded attack with an occasionally vulnerable backline.
“Because of his quality, Paqueta has to be here with us because you have a player who can play in different ways,” Ancelotti said after he produced another eye-catching cameo against Chile a month earlier.
“He played as an attacking midfielder, [but] I think he has no problem playing in a double-pivot as well. He has great ball control skills.”
