Jarrod Bowen reacts to Alphonse Areola ‘deserved’ claim after West Ham v Newcastle
Alphonse Areola took to social media after West Ham lost 1-0 to Newcastle at the London Stadium on Monday.
Graham Potter’s side were left disappointed after Bruno Guimaraes‘ winner on 10 March, with Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus denied by Nick Pope on multiple occasions.
Alexander Isak, who has been linked with a Newcastle exit, was far from his best on the night, but the Hammers were unable to take advantage, and it could have been even worse had it not been for Areola.
The 32-year-old shot-stopper pulled off an incredible stop, denying Max Kilman from the embarrassment of an own goal, and he really did deserve more than a defeat following his performance in between the sticks.
Alphonse Areola deserved better after Newcastle defeat
Taking to Instagram [10 March], Areola wrote: “Surely, we deserved more from the game tonight but that’s football. Thank you all for the support, loud as always.”
Bowen liked the post, as did Emerson Palmieri, Crysencio Summerville and Ipswich Town’s Alex Palmer.
Areola pulled off three saves against the Magpies, facing an xGOT of 2.05, keeping his side in the game and keeping the deficit to just one goal as Potter’s side battled against Eddie Howe‘s team.
Lucas Paqueta returns as West Ham suffer home defeat
Potter has been without Paqueta since mid-February, leaving the Hammers without their most influential attacking player for back-to-back wins over Arsenal and Leicester City.
While he only returned to the pitch for the final 25 minutes at the London Stadium, he was greeted with a warm reception after replacing Edson Alvarez following Guimaraes’ opener.
Of course, the Hammers could be without the Brazilian on a permanent basis, with Stefan Borson telling Football Insider that Paqueta could be in “serious trouble” at West Ham.
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards |
| Lucas Paqueta | 110 | 18 | 14 | 28 |
The 27-year-old is under investigation for serious betting charges, and if he is found guilty, a lifetime ban could be heading his way, much to the disappointment of West Ham fans.
It has been an incredibly difficult campaign for Paqueta, likely to be affected by the ongoing investigation, with only four goal contributions in the league, yet fans are still desperate to keep him around.