For the first time in quite a while, Premier League outfit West Ham United do not have to worry about the future of Lucas Paqueta for another few months.
A lifetime ban was avoided when Lucas Paqueta was acquitted of spot-fixing charges in August.
And when Graham Potter drew a line under those Aston Villa rumours some 24 hours before the transfer deadline – Fabrizio Romano reported that Villa were ‘closing in’, only to see the Brazilian pull that celebration out of his locker – the relentless buzzing in Lucas Paqueta’s ears finally made way for some long-awaited peace and quiet.
Well, as much peace and quiet as one can get at a West Ham United side for whom a crisis appears to arise at least once a week these days.
Brazil teammate Bruno Guimaraes loves seeing Paqueta back to his free-wheeling, fancy-footed best, while captain Jarrod Bowen highlighted a weight lifted off the Hammers playmaker following a trial which could have brought a premature end to his footballing career.
To think, as recently as the summer of 2024, West Ham were reportedly drawing up ‘contingency plans’ in case of a lengthy ban. Give Me Sport reported that Inter Miami starlet Diego Gomez had been identified as a potential Paqueta replacement before the Paraguay international secured a £14 million move to Brighton and Hove Albion instead.
Former West Ham United target Diego Gomez scores four in Brighton EFL Cup win
Now, while few at West Ham would trade in Lucas Paqueta for Diego Gomez, his four-goal masterclass during Brighton’s 6-0 EFL Cup thrashing of Barnsley on Tuesday night suggests that the Seagulls may just have done it again.
And when we say ‘it’, we mean they have unearthed another diamond in the proverbial rough.
Lucas Paqueta scored in four successive matches for West Ham and Brazil at the start of this season.
Diego Gomez, meanwhile, scored four in just 59 minutes as Fabian Hurzeler’s side followed up their 6-0 first round obliteration of Oxford United with another six-star showing.
“I am very pleased with him because he always tries hard in every training session to improve,” Hurzeler told The Argus after his number 25 became the first Brighton player to score four in the same match since club icon Glenn Murray in 2009.
“We always knew that he has a [good] shot if he gets a chance to score. He played a little bit different position today so we are really happy for him because he is a guy who is working hard. You just feel the passion from him for this football game and we are really pleased with him.
“We were pleased we had Diego in unbelievable shape with some unbelievable goals.”
Gomez’s four-goal showing includes two Barnsley wondergoals
His first of a remarkable first-half hat-trick saw Gomes arrive late in the penalty area to tap home from close range. That early opener would soon be overshadowed, however, in pretty spectacular style.
Even the right-footed rocket which doubled Brighton’s lead at third-tier Barnsley was not the eventual highlight of his coming-of-age evening. A sublime first-time volley from around the 30-yard mark. ‘Unbelievable’, indeed.
So as he raced onto a clever Danny Welbeck flick just past the interval, a stylish fourth demonstrated some finesse to go alongside that thundering power.
So, ahead of West Ham’s trip to Everton, over to you, Lucas.
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