Anderson proves his worth as Hammers lead from the front
MANUEL PELLEGRINI is not a man for big, emotional gestures, but even he allowed himself an air-punch of relief here.
The West Ham manager called for more time for record-signing Felipe Anderson this week, but his team were running out of time against Burnley.
Anderson, a £40million summer buy from Lazio, has struggled for form since his move but he rewarded Pellegrini’s patience with a cool head for two goals to finally settle this topsy-turvy contest.
West Ham led twice through Marko Arnautovic and Anderson but were pegged back by the equalisers from Johann Berg Gudmundsson and substitute Chris Wood.
But where this West Ham team have been guilty of losing their heads in the past, they kept their composure here to come through with Anderson’s second six minutes from time and a Javier Hernandez clincher.
‘If you are level or losing, you must continue to play in the same way,’ Pellegrini said. ‘I think that today was a test for the players. We were twice ahead, they drew level twice, then we scored the third and then wanted to score a fourth, not just defend our advantage.’
Arnautovic was a menace, fuelled by a running battle with James Tarkowski that he won comprehensively.
Tarkowski angered the Austrian with a rash challenge after 10 minutes.
Having gone nose-to-nose in a row over that foul, the Burnley defender should have been more aware of his rival’s close presence
as he tried to play a pass back to goalkeeper Joe Hart. He was not. Arnautovic nipped in, robbed Tarkowski of the ball, slipped a finish past Hart and then celebrated by roaring into the defender’s face.
Ben Mee brilliantly scooped an Anderson curler over the bar from his own goal-line as West Ham continued to pile forward.
Grady Diangana should have had a penalty when he was tripped by Steven Defour — even Sean Dyche admitted so.
But despite the hosts’ dominance, Burnley made it to half-time level. Issa Diop’s header away from a long ball fell to the feet of Ashley Westwood, who weaved a lovely pass through to Gudmundsson to touch home.
More of the same after the break: this time West Ham retook the lead when Diangana had the awareness and bravery to stroke a pass through to an unmarked Anderson before being clattered by Tarkowski. The Brazilian slotted through Hart’s legs.
Two substitutes combined with Wood heading in Robbie Brady’s corner as Burnley drew level again but West Ham were not to be denied.
They kept their heads and, as the ball ricocheted in the box with Arnautovic lurking, Anderson grabbed his second with the aid of a deflection.
‘Technical players in this game are the players that make the difference,’ Pellegrini said. Burnley were not quite done — Wood headed on to the bar again with five minutes to go.
But Hernandez fired in the fourth from fellow sub Michail Antonio’s pass. WEST HAM (4-1-4-1): Fabianski 6; Zabaleta 6.5, Diop 6, Balbuena 6.5, Cresswell 6; Rice 7; Diangana 7.5 (Antonio 86min), Obiang 6.5 (Hernandez 61, 6.5), Snodgrass 6, Anderson 8; Arnautovic 7.5 (Ogbonna 90). Subs (not used): Adrian, Fredericks, Masuaku, Perez. Booked: Anderson. BURNLEY (4-3-3): Hart 7; Lowton 6, Tarkowski 4, Mee 7, Taylor 6; Westwood 6.5, Vydra 5 (Barnes 72, 6), Defour 6.5; Gudmundsson 7, Vokes 5.5 (Wood 72, 7), Lennon 5.5 (Brady 75, 6). Subs not used: Heaton, Hendrick, Long, McNeil. Booked: Tarkowski, Lowton, Brady, Barnes. Referee: Roger East 5.5.