Michail Antonio fires West Ham up to fifth on return from injury
West Ham United's Michail Antonio scores their second goal of the game at Turf Moor. Photo: Gareth Copley/PA
MICHAIL ANTONIO returned from injury to score the goals that take West Ham up to fifth, above Tottenham and within three points of fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League table.
It is unlikely West Ham and Burnley will be asked to stage the Claret and Blue derby in any upcoming European Super Leagues but they remain two of the most under-rated sides in the Premier League and the first half alone had enough entertainment for any Big Six encounter this season.
The 'Happy Hammers' have four eminently winnable games to play against Everton, Brighton, West Brom, and Southampton. Chelsea, meanwhile, have remaining matches against Manchester City, Chelsea, Leicester, and Aston Villa. Those matches come around Wednesday's Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid and the Leicester FA Cup Final.
Anything is possible for David Moyes' side as they once again showed their transformation from relegation candidates to Champions League contenders is no fluke.
There were three goals, chances for more at both ends, and West Ham recorded an impressive ten shots on goal. They ended up with 22 to Burnley's eight.
Sean Dyche's Burnley, looking for the three points that would pretty much guarantee them another season of top-flight football, took a lead slightly against the run of play thanks to the tenacity of Chris Wood.
The striker chased down a lost cause to keep the ball in play in the West Ham area, flipped it over Issa Diop's head before being felled by Tomas Soucek. The Kiwi then crunched his spot-kick past Lukasz Fabianski to mark his seventh goal in as many games and seven in his last eight against West Ham.
However, West Ham were level just over two minutes later. Vladimir Coufal sent an enticing cross towards the far post and Antonio beat a clutch of Burnley defenders to head in with precision and power.
Jesse Lingard maintained his excellent form on loan from Manchester United and in Said Benrahma he had an attacking ally playing at the top of his game.
A deserved second came for West Ham and Antonio on the half-hour. The impressive Benrahma, a constant threat, danced down the left wing and clipped in an exquisitely clipped cross that went beyond three diving Burnley players and was turned over the line by Antonio, who had found space by anticipating his team-mate's actions to perfection.
Burnley were second best but not out of it and Matej Vydra threatened an equaliser soon after.
An image of Benrahma grabbing a bite to eat as part of Ramadan merely emphasised how impressive his energetic opening spell had been.
West Ham's intensity inevitably dropped in the second half but not by much and aside from an Antonio miss, the best next chance fell to the feet of Burnley substitute Jay Rodriguez, who shot wide when it seemed easier to score.
Johann Gudmundsson also came on to go close for Burnley as the classic Turf Moor conditions were enhanced by a second-half downpour to add to the drama and tension under the Monday night floodlights.
Burnley never gave up their quest for an equaliser and the match ended with West Ham desperately waiting for the final whistle so they could celebrate the three points they ultimately fully deserved.
Pope 6, Lowton 6, Tarkowski 5, Mee 6, Taylor 6, Brownhill 6, Westwood 6, Cork 6, McNeil 6 (Gudmundsson 75), Vydra 6 (Rodriguez 61), Wood 7 (Barnes 85). Peacock-Farrell, Norris, Stephens, Pieters, Bardsley, Dunne.
Fabianski 6, Cresswell 7, Coufal 6, Dawson 6, Diop 6, Benrahma 8 (Bowen 79), Lanzini 6, Lingard 7, Fornals 6, Soucek 6, Antonio 9. Trott, Randolph, Balbuena, Alves, Fredericks, Johnson, Odubeko, Coventry.
Anthony Taylor 6
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