Sullivan must regret not selling West Ham’s 4/10 disaster
West Ham United are aboard a sinking ship in the Premier League this season, and Nuno Espirito Santo is struggling to get a tune out of this crop of players, whose 3-0 loss at Manchester City kept them in the relegation zone.
It’s not looking good. That’s now back-to-back defeats in the top flight for the Hammers, whose winless run has been extended to six matches.
Falling to Pep Guardiola’s Man City at the Etihad Stadium is hardly a world-ending result, but there’s no question that the manner of the loss, West Ham’s performance, is gravely concerning.
Too many players flattered to deceive.
West Ham's worst players vs Man City
West Ham owner David Sullivan faces overseeing relegation from the Premier League, with Nuno’s crop of players all flattering to deceive.
Against City, there wasn’t much to write home about, though there was something to be said of the cranked-up attack on the hosts’ goal after the interval. As per Sofascore, the entirety of the Irons’ xG total of 0.99 came during the second half.
It was a tough afternoon at the office for homegrown talent Ollie Scarles, with prominent fan voice Martyn Hobbs even asserting that the 20-year-old left-back “is nowhere near Prem standard”.
Scarles is a young and inexperienced player, though, and he was let down by his senior peers, with one in particular doing little to suggest that West Ham shouldn’t have sold him when they had the chance this summer.
West Ham should've sold 4/10 star
There’s no question that Lucas Paqueta is one of the most talented players in West Ham’s modern history, and he’s achieved some high points indeed, but he’s also struggling this season, and isn’t exavctly pulling his weight.
Against Manchester City, he toiled away to little avail without ever playing with the sparkle and drive that we know is within his capacity.
The statistics outlined some success on the Brazilian’s part, but metrics can be deceiving, with this another frustrating display that left much to be desired.
Indeed, the 28-year-old won nine duels and completed two dribbles before being replaced by Tomas Soucek with 78 minutes on the board, but he also ceded possession 14 times, losing the ball every 4.4 touches without crafting much of note. Sofascore data shows that he created two chances.
Paqueta’s Last Two Premier League Seasons
Stats (* per game)
24/25
25/26
Matches (starts)
33 (27)
15 (15)
Goals
4
3
Assists
0
0
Shots (on target)*
1.2 (0.2)
1.3 (0.6)
Accurate passes
33.6 (79%)
35.6 (78%)
Key passes*
1.1
1.3
Big chances created
4
5
Succ. dribbles*
0.6 (50%)
1.0 (38%)
Ball recoveries
4.5
4.4
Tackles + interceptions*
2.5
2.5
Duels (won)*
6.0 (48%)
6.9 (47%)
Errors
6
1
Data via Sofascore
The fact that Paqueta has failed to create an assist since the 2023/24 campaign is telling.
Subscribe for expert West Ham and Premier League analysis Want deeper context? Subscribing to the newsletter delivers detailed match breakdowns, tactical insight and clear player evaluations covering West Ham and broader Premier League action — ideal if you follow form, transfers and club fortunes. Subscribe for expert West Ham and Premier League analysis Want deeper context? Subscribing to the newsletter delivers detailed match breakdowns, tactical insight and clear player evaluations covering West Ham and broader Premier League action — ideal if you follow form, transfers and club fortunes.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Claret & Hugh certainly weren’t impressed. The Hammers-focused site were scathing in their criticism of the ‘disinterested’ Brazilian, handing him a 4/10 match rating and remarking that they had had enough of such a talented playmaker continuing to punch below his weight.
How much longer can this continue? Paqueta is quite happy to pull strings when West Ham are firing on all cylinders, but he lacks the tenacity and desire to play a talismanic role when the tide is against him and his team. And the tide has been unkind to United for quite some time now.
Flamengo tried to sign Paqueta this summer after he was cleared of misconduct charges, and Manchester City were said to have revisited their interest earlier in 2025 too.
Now, Paqueta’s stock has diminished, and will diminish further still if West Ham are relegated. Unfortunately, all is not well at the London Stadium.
Shades of Rice: West Ham planning talks to sign £18m "leader"
The up-and-coming young star could be as much of a game-changer for West Ham as Declan Rice once was.
ByJack Salveson Holmes