"Almost reminds me of Cantona" - Paul Scholes likens Premier League midfielder to Manchester United legend
Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has admitted that West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta reminded him of Eric Cantona during the Red Devils' 2-0 loss to the Hammers on Saturday, December 23.
West Ham emphatically defeated Manchester United in their Premier League clash at the London Stadium to increase the pressure on Erik ten Hag and Co. Jarrod Bowen (72') and Mohammed Kudus (78') scored one goal apiece to secure all three points for the Hammers.
Paqueta had another sensational game, setting up both of West Ham's goals. He won 12 duels, made seven recoveries, created three big chances, and provided one assist, showing he possesses great physicality, along with his creativity.
This performance comes a week after the 26-year-old provided all three assists against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He has now scored five goals and provided five assists in 25 appearances in total this season.
Scholes told TNT Sports (via METRO):
"He’s so impressive, he can do everything. The big thing that surprised me today was his physicality, the size of the man! He’s a right unit. He almost reminds me of Cantona in that way, in that people just bounce off him."
He added:
"But to go with that he’s got that brilliant quality that Jarrod Bowen and Kudus must be licking their lips, every time he gets the ball they make runs and they’re going to be found, like that bit of brilliance he produced today."
"With performances like that there will be big clubs wanting him. No disrespect to West Ham, I know they’re a big club, but you talk about Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona. You can see him playing in those teams because the lad has real quality."
Eric Cantona is regarded as one of the best players to have ever represented Manchester United. He plied his trade for the Red Devils between 1992 and 1997, netting 82 goals and registering 62 assists in 185 appearances in total. The Frenchman also won nine trophies, including four Premier League titles.
Who do Manchester United face next?
Manchester United will be hoping to bounce back in their next fixture against Aston Villa. They face Unai Emery's in-form side in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Tuesday, December 26.
The Red Devils are winless in their last four games across all competitions, having drawn Liverpool, and lost to West Ham, Bayern Munich, and Bournemouth. Moreover, they have also failed to score a single goal in either of these four games, scoring just two in the whole of December.
Ten Hag's side are currently eighth in the Premier League standings with 28 points from 18 games, eight points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. They have now lost 13 games in 26 games across all competitions and are likely to be considered the underdogs against third-placed Aston Villa.