Alan Pardew has criticised West Ham United attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta for his pre-match behaviour against Manchester City at London Stadium in the Premier League this past weekend.
West Ham United took on Manchester City at London Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday.
Defending champions City won the match 3-1.
West Ham started the game well and took the lead in the 36th minute.
David Moyes’s side were 1-0 up at half time.
However, City, who won the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup last season, rallied in the second half and scored three goals to pick up all three points from the game.
Lucas Paqueta started the match for the Hammers.
The £150,000-a-week (Spotrac) playmaker started on the left of an attacking midfield-three in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Alan Pardew on West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta
Before the match, the 26-year-old Brazil international attacking midfielder was caught on camera giving a hug to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
And former West Ham manager Alan Pardew was not impressed.
Pardew said about Paqueta on talkSPORT (8:57pm, September 17, 2023): “He went up to Pep and cuddled him before the game.
“Can’t do that when you are a Hammer. Come on. Come on.”
Potential reason for Lucas Paqueta gesture towards Pep Guardiola
In our view, West Ham United attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta hugged Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola before the match due to transfer links in the summer of 2023.
According to talkSPORT, City wanted to sign Paqueta from Premier League rivals West Ham in the summer transfer window.
The Citizens made a bid of £70 million.
West Ham turned down the offer even though the Brazilian told the London club that he wanted to move to the Etihad Stadium, according to the report.
TalkSPORT has claimed that City subsequently dropped their interest in Paqueta after he “became the subject of an FA betting investigation”.
City signed Matheus Nunes from Wolverhampton Wanderers instead.
So, maybe Paqueta wanted to show his appreciation to Guardiola for taking an interest in him by hugging him before the match.
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