CRYSTAL PALACE
Edouard 83, Olise
WEST HAM
90
Antonio 22, Lanzini 25, 45+5 pen
BY NEIL McLEMAN MICHAIL ANTONIO has revealed a Covidenforced break from football has “sparked” him back into life this season.
The Jamaica striker grabbed his second goal in three games as West Ham kept up their bid for a Champions League place at Selhurst Park. Antonio had not scored for his club in nine matches since October and tested positive for Covid last month. But he believes he benefited to come back with a new focus - and two goals and an assist since Boxing Day.
“What’s changed? I had Covid,” he said. “That sparked me into life. The run without scoring weighed on me massively.
“It was frustrating. I’m a person who always wants to score goals and I always believe I should score goals.
“I had Covid and came back, so maybe just having the break away from football to clear my mind.
“I didn’t have the option to really think about football as I had to isolate at home, so that might be the situation because first game back was Saints, second game was Watford and then Crystal Palace. Sometimes it is just time.”
Manager David Moyes said: “I thought Mickey showed signs he is getting back to the Mickey we know. He’s had a month or so where he’s not quite been there.
“Overall I’m really pleased for him because he’s so important for us. He leads the line for us, he can win us games on his own, he can make goals for us.
“He’s certainly someone the opposition have to think about how they’re going to deal with.”
No player better personifies the change at West Ham under David Moyes’ second reign.
Before this fixture on Boxing Day 2019, Antonio crashed his Lamborghini while returning from training dressed as a snowman.
The subsequent 2-1 defeat to Palace saw Mark Noble and Angelo Ogbonna needing to be separated by their team-mates. Boss Manuel Pellegrini was sacked two days later.
Moyes was appointed on December 29 with the club one point off the drop zone. Antonio laughed: “I can dress up whenever I like.” But there is no disguising the change in attitude and performance under the Scot.
“One thing the manager says is our workrate,” said the Londoner. “He showed us stats when he came in that our workrate wasn’t high enough, our running stats were about 16th in the league. Now our running stats are fourth or fifth.
“We have the quality but you have to match the workrate with it and that is what the top boys do.”
West Ham are again among the top boys. They started 2021 with six consecutive wins and finished sixth above London rivals Spurs and Arsenal. This year they have a chance to go two better. “It’s not done and dusted until the season is over,” Antonio said.
His 22nd-minute opener followed by two first-half goals from Manuel Lanzini - along with Declan Rice on his 150th appearance were the difference between the sides.
The Hammers scored three times with five shots on target, while Palace lacked the same ruthlessness despite setting up a nervy finish with late goals from Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise.