West Ham suffered back-to-back Premier League defeats after Liverpool ran out 3-1 winners at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
David Moyes’ men, who came into the game having lost by a similar scoreline to Manchester City at home, were at one point level before Jurgen Klopp’s side overran them in the final 30 minutes.
Despite this latest setback Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paquetá seemingly received a standing ovation from the Reds faithful as he was replaced by Danny Ings in the 87th minute – although it could have been a warm reception for the return of a former player.
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Whether or not Anfield rolled out the R9 treatment or not — Ronaldo was applauded at Old Trafford after scoring a hat-trick against them in the 2002/03 Champions League quarter-finals — both sets of supporters alike were in agreement about the quality of his display.
?️{VIDEO}?️
Lucas Paquetá seemed convinced the Anfield applause was for him ? #LFC
?: @LFCTV https://t.co/48BeQuJBC1
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) September 25, 2023
https://twitter.com/whucentre/status/1706001358745227441
Lucas Paqueta is some player. One of the best performances I’ve seen at anfield from a opposition player
— FSG OUT (@ShaunlfcT) September 24, 2023
https://twitter.com/garethmc6/status/1705960956923187484
The former Milan and Lyon man has made a productive start to the 2023/24 Premier League season, ranking first in the following metrics: tackles made, through-balls attempted, through-balls completed, duels won and possession won. If he keeps this up, Anfield will not be the only stadium where Paquetá receives the ‘R9’ treatment this season.
It’s also worth noting that Declan Rice was the 2022/23 Premier League stat leader for possession won and with Paquetá following suit so far in 2023/24, a similar nine-figure transfer might follow. The Hammers rejected an £80m bid from Man City from Paquetá in the summer but they might not be able to hold out again with Moyes previously admitting he has a price.
“There’s a price on everybody’s head. We have had news on Lucas, but not anything to make our heads wobble. Lucas Paqueta is an incredibly talented player. We played him a bit deeper alongside Tomas [Soucek],” he told reporters in August.