MATCH STATS
WEST HAM UNITED 1 Antonio (9) BURNLEY 0
David Moyes was impressed by fit-again Michail Antonio as he fired West Ham to victory over Burnley.
Antonio, back in the team after a couple of months out with hamstring problems, grabbed the winner as West Ham sank the Clarets.
Hammers boss Moyes said: “Michy was very good for someone coming back from injury. He’s shown a great level of robustness in the last six months and hopefully we can get him back up to that.
“If he can regain the form of those previous months that would be a big thing.”
Moyes is expected to splash out on a striker this month following the £20-million sale of Sebastien Haller to Ajax.
But he added: “We’ve already made enquiries for players at clubs, it’s not as if we’re not trying, but I need players who can make a difference.”
Antonio found the net in the ninth minute with West Ham’s first attack of the match after Said Benrahma’s ball sent Jarrod Bowen through.
Bowen reached the byline before playing the ball back to Pablo Fornals, who crossed into the area. The ball grazed the head of Ben Mee, forcing James Tarkowski to miss his header and leave Antonio with a tap-in at the far post.
Burnley briefly thought they had equalised when an Ashley Barnes cross was diverted into his own net by Aaron Cresswell, but the forward was pulled up for offside. Moments later West Ham almost doubled their lead, with Declan Rice flicking on Bowen’s corner to Angelo Ogbonna, who headed against a post.
Early in the second half, Rice went close with an audacious angled free-kick, Fornals’ goal-bound effort was blocked and Bowen shot into the side-netting.
Burnley nearly levelled when Dwight McNeil’s cross looped over Lukasz Fabianski and grazed the crossbar.
“It’s a tough one to call,” said manager Sean Dyche. “We conceded a softer goal than usual for us, but I’m not going to criticise my centre-halves, I thought they were excellent today.
“They didn’t really have too many other chances, until near the end. It’s just about finding the detail in the final third.”