West Ham United’s manager, Julen Lopetegui, will not be present on the touchline for the upcoming Premier League clash against Arsenal at the London Stadium this weekend. The decision comes amidst a challenging period in Lopetegui’s tenure, as he has faced significant pressure just a few months into his time at the club. Reports earlier suggested that his position was under scrutiny, with only a few matches available for him to prove his worth.
However, West Ham delivered an impressive 2-0 victory against Newcastle United at St James’ Park, widely regarded as their best performance of the season. This crucial win elevated the team to 14th place in the league table and temporarily alleviated the pressure on the Spanish manager.
Despite the positive result, Lopetegui’s touchline conduct during the match has resulted in a suspension. He received a yellow card in the 20th minute for protesting a decision, marking his third booking of the season. As per league regulations, this accumulation triggers a one-match touchline ban, ruling him out of the Arsenal fixture.
Following the Newcastle win, Lopetegui expressed his dissatisfaction with the suspension but emphasized the importance of the players’ performance. He stated, “I am not happy, but more importantly is the players will be on the pitch. A win is always important. It shows we can compete and trust in ourselves.”
This suspension comes after a string of similar incidents. Lopetegui was also cautioned during the recent goalless draw against Everton before the international break and had received another yellow card in West Ham’s 5-1 Carabao Cup loss to Liverpool earlier this season.
Separately, midfielder Lucas Paquetá is on the verge of suspension, having accumulated four yellow cards this season. Other West Ham players, including Carlos Soler, Emerson, Guido Rodríguez, Max Kilman, and Tomáš Souček, have each received three bookings so far, highlighting disciplinary concerns within the squad.