Paqueta Sent Off in West Ham Loss, Criticizes Probe Toll

West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta was sent off late in his team's 2-0 Premier League defeat to Liverpool at the London Stadium on Sunday, prompting the Brazilian to publicly criticize football authorities for failing to provide psychological support during a prolonged investigation into spot-fixing allegations.

The visitors secured their first league win since early November with goals from Alexander Isak in the 60th minute and Cody Gakpo in second-half stoppage time. West Ham, who managed only seven points from their previous three matches, failed to register a single shot on target and now sit 17th in the table with 11 points from 13 games, clinging to safety on goal difference alone.

Paqueta's dismissal came in the 84th minute after he received two yellow cards for dissent from referee Darren England, just 54 seconds apart. The incident stemmed from a challenge in which Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai went down under contact from West Ham's Niclas Fullkrug, prompting the referee to award a free kick to the visitors. Although not directly involved, Paqueta protested vehemently, drawing an initial booking. His continued arguing, including close confrontations with...