Burnley 1-2 West Ham: Michail Antonio brace boosts Champions League hopes for David Moyes' Hammers

West Ham United got back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Burnley that keeps their top four hopes firmly alive.

The hosts took the lead from the spot when Chris Wood converted the penalty he’d won on 19 minutes. But that incident seemed to spark David Moyes’ West Ham into life, and the Hammers went on to dominate the remainder of the match.

It took the visitors just two minutes to draw level, Michail Antonio heading home Vladimir Coufal’s teasing cross. And West Ham were ahead inside half an hour, with Antonio glancing in his second after great work by Said Benrahma.

Burnley were distinctly second best for much of a wet and windy evening at Turf Moor, but Sean Dyche’s side always had a sniff with the score at 2-1, and almost burgled an equaliser when substitute Jay Rodriguez scrambled a shot narrowly wide.

But West Ham held on for the three points that their performance richly merited, pulling themselves right back into contention for the Champions League qualification spots.

The result moves Moyes’ side back above Spurs into fifth, just three points behind Chelsea and with four matches left to play. Burnley are not yet mathematically safe, although they remain nine points above Fulham.

David Moyes has done a hugely impressive job with the West Ham side, and not just in terms of their points tally. The Hammers may yet secure Champions League qualification for the first time, but it is the nature of their football that has been so impressive. Moyes’ boys play slick and attacking football, with width and creativity on both flanks, plenty of aerial threat but also the capability to rip teams apart on the floor. It’s really impressive to watch when they’re in full flow, which they were at times at Turf Moor.

Benrahma was brilliant but it’s got to be Antonio as man of the match. The West Ham front man was relentless with his pressing, brilliant with his movement, and scored the two goals that earned the Hammers the win. He could have had more too, and probably deserved the hat-trick. Burnley never got a handle on him all night.

Burnley: Pope 6, Lowton 5, Tarkowski 6, Mee 6, Taylor 5, Brownhill 5, Cork 5, McNeil 5, Westwood 5, Vydra 5, Wood 6. Subs: Gudmundsson 5, Rodriguez 5, Barnes 5

West Ham: Fabianski 6, Cresswell 7, Dawson 7, Diop 7, Coufal 8, Benrahma 8, Soucek 8, Lanzini 7, Fornals 7, Antonio 8, Lingard 7. Subs: Bowen 6

17’ – Wood keeps a move alive and dinks back into the box, going down as he stretches for the bouncing ball. The referee immediately points to the spot and VAR upholds the decision.

19’ GOAL! – The keeper gets fingertips to Wood’s spot-kick but can’t keep it out. 1-0 Burnley!

22’ GOAL! – What a response from West Ham! They’ve ripped Burnley to pieces since the goal and the equaliser comes from the head of Antonio on the end of a Coufal cross. It took them just two minutes to get back level. 1-1!

29’ GOAL! – It’s Antonio again and West Ham have the lead! Benrahma floats a gem of a cross right towards the far corner, and Antonio makes the perfect run to glance it past the keeper. 2-1!

32’ – Oooh, so close to a third! Benrahma cuts inside onto his right and looks to bend a shot into the far corner. It’s inches wide and also inches away from being met by the sliding Antonio.

35’ – Out of nowhere Burnley almost equalise as Vydra somehow manages to get on the end of a bouncing long ball and flick a shot over the onrushing goalkeeper. Dawson keeps the Hammers ahead with a header off the line. This game has exploded into life.

64’ – How did Rodriguez not score!? Burnley almost bag a scrappy equaliser, with two efforts blocked with some desperate West Ham defending and Rodriguez slicing his second attempt wide when it seemed easier to score.

89’ – Lingard smashes in a shot on the break and it cannons off Mee and Pope behind for a corner. The keeper didn’t know much about that.

This was David Moyes’ first ever win as a manager at Turf Moor. Burnley have now gone eight home games without a win.