West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta was sent off against Liverpool in the recent Premier League outing.
The Brazilian star received his marching orders after arguing with the officials regarding the first yellow card he received during the game.
Despite being told to calm down, the Brazilian continued to argue with officials, and he was eventually shown the second yellow card.
The player will now miss a crucial game against Manchester United. He has been criticised for his antics, which have cost the team dearly.
West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen has now leapt to the defence of his teammate and explained that Paqueta was passionate during the game, and he was unhappy with the first booking. He also added that as a captain of the team, he should’ve done better to diffuse the situation and control the player.
“Obviously, Lucas is passionate, and he was frustrated about it. I’m trying to talk to the referee, but I’ve got Lucas in my ear at the same time”, Bowen toldWest Ham’s website.
“Maybe I could have done more to help Lucas. But in that situation, I think Lucas was obviously really passionate about his feelings, and there’s probably no calming him down…
“But these things happen in football. Maybe I could have dealt with it a little bit better and helped Lucas, but I thought I was trying to speak to the referee to try and help Lucas find out why he got that first yellow card.”
Even though there have been question marks over Bowen’s captaincy, he has continued to show that he is a selfless leader, and he is prepared to take the blame for his teammates’ actions.
It will be interesting to see if Paqueta can work on his aggression and control himself in these situations. West Ham are fighting for survival, and they simply cannot afford to lose their key players.
The Brazilian is an indispensable asset for them, and his suspension could prove to be very costly for the London club.