Lucas Paquetá insists there are no limits on what West Ham United can still achieve this season, but for now he is directing his full attention towards building on Monday’s strong win over Newcastle United when Arsenal visit London Stadium on Saturday.
The Hammers’ Brazilian star was named Player of the Match for the instrumental role he played in the thrilling 2-0 triumph at St James’ Park, contributing the most completed passes (57) and carries (42) of anyone in Claret and Blue, as well as the joint-most tackles (six), demonstrating his importance in all areas of the pitch.
Tomáš Souček and Aaron Wan-Bissaka goals ultimately secured the side’s second away win of the campaign, lifting them to within four points of the top six ahead of this weekend’s matches, and reigniting hopes of a return to Europe.
While securing continental football once again - after three successful seasons that yielded the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League trophy and two runs to the latter stages of the Europa League - is among Paquetá’s longer-term ambitions for 2024/25, he is currently focused on the here and now, and turning in another strong performance against the Gunners.
“I know we didn’t start the season in the best way, but I think we’ve shown what we’re capable of now and we have what it takes to qualify for Europe again,” the 27-year-old said.
“We always want to do the best we can for the fans, and I want to make them believe until the end that we’re doing everything we can to achieve the best. For me, Europe is the goal every season - we did so well in Europe when we were there, and we want those sorts of nights again.
“We know that the only way to do that though is to keep putting in good performances and winning games. The result at Newcastle gave us a lot of confidence, and now we’re looking forward to a good test against Arsenal.
“They are a great team, so we know it’s going to be tough to play against them, but we beat them away in the league and at home in the [EFL] Cup last season, so we have a lot of belief we can earn a positive result.”
Monday’s clash on Tyneside saw Paquetá and Souček line up as part of a slightly unfamiliar midfield three, with Carlos Soler coming into the fold for his second league start for the Irons, and impressing during his 84 minutes on the pitch.
Spaniard Soler was one of nine first-team arrivals in east London during the summer, in addition to Head Coach Julen Lopetegui, and Paquetá believes the squad are starting to find their best form after a period of transition.
He added: “It’s normal that when there are changes it can take some time to absorb new ideas and put them in practice, but we’re all feeling good.
“The manager has a great will to win, which I think is great because it helps create a good spirit in the squad. We are all starting to understand each other better and on Monday we saw that translate to the pitch, which was great.
“Everyone in the squad is a great player, with different strengths and characteristics. [Carlos] Soler plays more with the ball and likes to create things, and I think we work well together. I enjoyed lining up with him, and whoever’s on the pitch against Arsenal will be looking to achieve the same goal, which is the three points.”
