West Ham player Lucas Paqueta collapsed to the ground and was forced off injured during the match against Arsenal, after suffering a suspected hamstring injury.

Injury Occurs During Warm-up

Paqueta had already been limping during the warm-up, but was still deemed fit to start the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium.

Hamstring Injury Forces Substitution

In the 32nd minute of the game, with West Ham leading 1-0 thanks to Tomas Soucek's goal, Paqueta went down and was attended to by medical staff. Unfortunately, he was unable to continue playing for the Hammers.

Algerian winger Said Benrahma was sent on as Paqueta's replacement by West Ham manager David Moyes.

Potential Absence for Paqueta

The Hammers will be concerned about the potential absence of Paqueta due to the upcoming AFCON tournament. This could result in him missing several games between January and February.

Summer signing Mohammed Kudus, who has been equally important for West Ham this season, is expected to be called up to the Ghanaian national team.

Kudus has scored six goals in the Premier League since his £34 million arrival, including one against Manchester United.

Controversy Surrounding West Ham's Goal

West Ham took the lead through Soucek's goal in the 13th minute. However, Arsenal fans were left frustrated as they believed the ball had gone out of play before Jarrod Bowen crossed it to Soucek. VAR, however, found no sufficient evidence to overturn the goal decision.