Lucas Paqueta should be banned after ’embarrassing’ incident vs Everton
Lucas Paqueta was involved in a controversial moment in the 1-1 draw between Everton and West Ham.
Paqueta was linked with a move to Everton in the summer, but nothing materialised, and he stayed in East London.
The Brazil star was unable to influence proceedings as Michael Keane opened the scoring for Everton and Jarrod Bowen levelled for the Hammers.
However, he did cause a fuss, despite not getting onto the scoresheet or notching an assist in the Hill Dickinson Stadium contest.
Commentator calls for Lucas Paqueta ban after Everton incident
Everton’s draw with West Ham was not without incident, and one of the main talking points involved Paqueta‘s actions towards the end of the match.
The Hammers ace went down in the 88th minute, holding his face, after contact with Vitalii Mykolenko, which saw the Blues star booked, but it was evident that he was not caught there.
Ian Darke, the iconic commentator, took to X on 29 September to call for a ban for the Irons ace, saying: “Embarrassing – Paqueta taking a dig in the ribs and collapsing clutching his face.
“So stupid with cameras everywhere to expose the cheating. In an ideal world, that should carry a one-game ban for any player trying it (and there have been a few).”
- Read More: Duncan Ferguson and Jamie Carragher agree on ‘incredible’ Everton star after West Ham draw
Everton should not be concerned about potential Paqueta ban
If he were to get a retrospective one-match ban, as Darke suggests, it would not really concern the Blues, as the game has now been and gone.
The ban would not be served against the Toffees, and the yellow card that Mykolenko would not be taken back.
- Everton have had several refereeing decisions go against them this season
- Two penalties against them for controversial handballs in their opening two league matches
- Just three minutes of added time at the end against Liverpool, despite several stoppages in the second half
Moyes and Co will surely be focused on the next game against an in-form Crystal Palace side, rather than any potential punishment that Paqueta could be handed.
Darke is right, there is no place for that kind of play-acting within the game, but the Blues will not benefit if the FA do end up getting involved on this occasion.
Therefore, they will probably not care whether the Hammers ace is handed a ban or not, and will want to move on from an underwhelming evening.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Everton news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @goodisonnews