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MICHAIL ANTONIO FIRES WESTHAM TO VICTORY OVER TOTTENHAM

Michail Antonio continued to make Tottenham his favourite opponent as he fired West Ham to a 1-0 win at the London Stadium.

The Hammers striker enjoys playing against Spurs more than any other club and bagged his sixth goal against their capital rivals late in the second half to earn a derby-day win.

Antonio got the better of his marker Harry Kane at a corner and poked home his seventh of the campaign in all competitions.

The win moves David Moyes’ side above Tottenham in the table and continues their solid start to the season.

It was a fourth London derby defeat of the season for Spurs, who have also lost to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Arsenal, and their battle for consistency is undermining any credible attempt to crack the top four.

They had chances in the first half but did not have a single shot on goal after the break.

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo clearly prioritised this game by leaving the entire starting XI at home while a second string travelled to Holland for a Europa Conference League game with Vitesse Arnhem.

Five of West Ham’s side were in Europa League action, but it was the hosts who started the brightest and forced Hugo Lloris into an early save as the Frenchman got down to keep out Pablo Fornals’ acrobatic effort.

Spurs thought they should have had a penalty as Kane played in Tanguy Ndombele, who was clattered into by Kurt Zouma, with VAR ruling no offence had taken place.

That helped bring the visitors to life and they fashioned two chances in quick succession.

First Kane’s brilliant through-ball set Son Heung-min free, he squared to Lucas Moura, but the Brazilian got his feet in a muddle and could not keep his shot on the turn down.

Soon after Son was in on goal after Ndombele’s pass had played him in, but his first-time shot was easy for Lukasz Fabianski to save.

West Ham were still in the game and enjoyed a good spell, which saw Tomas Soucek fire a good chance at the far post over and Antonio curl an effort wide after he overpowered Cristian Romero.

But Spurs could have gone in at half-time in front, but for a fine save by Fabianski.

The visitors worked the ball well down the left and Sergio Reguilon’s cross was met at the far post by Kane but the Poland goalkeeper did well to tip the ball over.

Tottenham started the second half brightly as they regularly threatened down the flanks but there was no quality at the vital moment as Reguilon, Ndombele and Kane all wasted opportunities to tee up team-mates.

West Ham were more streetwise than their opponents and the decisive moment came with 18 minutes remaining.

Reguilon was caught in possession by Fornals, whose shot was deflected over. And from the resulting corner, Antonio got in front of a statuesque Kane to poke home at the near post.

Spurs had nothing in the way of a response and West Ham held on to make it three wins in the last five against Spurs.

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MICHAIL ANTONIO NETS LATE GOAL TO KEEP LEEDS WINLESS

Michail Antonio struck in the 90th minute to snatch West Ham a 2-1 victory as Leeds’ winless Premier League start was extended to six matches.

Leeds led at the break through Raphinha, but were punished again for failing to take their chances and after Junior Firpo’s second-half own goal, Antonio fired the Hammers’ last-minute winner.

The hosts’ inability to convert chances is threatening to undermine their second season back in the top flight and they slipped into the bottom three.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have equalled the club’s longest winless run from the beginning of a league campaign, set in 1935/36 and again in 1951/52.

West Ham began full of confidence after their impressive start to the season and threatened to sweep Leeds aside at the start of the first half.

Leeds’ injuries and suspension forced Bielsa to hand centre-half Charlie Cresswell his Premier League debut and the Hammers, led by Antonio, gave the 19-year-old’s game a rigorous examination.

Said Benrahma flashed an early shot wide and Antonio’s low angled drive was diverted by the slightest of touches from Illan Meslier.

Meslier was then forced into an even better flying save soon after to keep out another Benrahma effort.

But Leeds steadily grew into the game and Stuart Dallas’ curling shot was superbly tipped over the crossbar by West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Raphinha then served warning of his game-changing capabilities by cutting inside and firing straight at Fabanski, but the Poland international had no chance with the Brazilian’s next effort.

After being teed up by Mateusz Klich on the edge of the penalty area, Raphinha curled a low left-footed shot into the bottom corner to give Leeds a 19th-minute lead.

Raphinha hit a post from an identical position in the 35th minute, but West Ham finished the first period strongly.

Antonio just failed to get on the end of Benrahma’s far-post cross and following a rare mistake by Kalvin Phillips, Meslier produced a brilliant block to deny Pablo Fornals in a one-on-one.

West Ham thought they had equalised early in the second half when Tomas Soucek turned the ball home from close range following a corner.

But Antonio’s elbow had clearly caught Meslier in the face as the goalkeeper leapt to catch the ball and after VAR intervention, referee Kevin Friend ruled it out and booked the visitors’ striker.

Meslier turned away Soucek’s shot and at the other end Klich spurned a golden chance to double the home side’s lead from inside the box when set up by Raphinha.

Leeds were made to pay soon after as the action continued to ebb and flow and the Hammers drew level in the 67th minute, albeit in fortuitous circumstances when Jarrod Bowen’s cross was deflected in off Firpo.

Raphinha was withdrawn and replaced by Tyler Roberts and Leeds missed his direct running on the counter.

Both sides went in search of the winner but it was West Ham who seized their chance as Declan Rice picked out Antonio with a fine pass inside and the Hammers striker kept his composure to fire home a low finish.

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MICHAIL ANTONIO AND DECLAN RICE FIRE WESTHAM TO VICTORY AGAINST DINAMO ZAGREB

West Ham announced themselves on the Europa League stage as goals from Michail Antonio and Declan Rice secured a 2-0 victory at Dinamo Zagreb.

The Hammers’ very own Ant and Dec provided the tea-time entertainment in Croatia by finding the net either side of half-time.

Antonio was probably only in the team due to the red card he picked up at Southampton, which has instead given him an enforced rest against Manchester United on Sunday.

But striker brought his sizzling domestic form to the continent with his fifth goal of the season.

Rice, making his European club debut with 26 caps for England already to his name, added the second to give David Moyes’ side a comfortable win in their first ever group stage match.

It is only the ninth time the Hammers have even been in Europe and the last time they won a match, not including qualifiers, was in 1999 against another Croatian side, Osijek.

Manager Moyes admitted beforehand that the trip to the Croatian league and cup winners might be their toughest assignment in Group H.

After all, Dinamo had reached the quarter-finals last season while accounting for Tottenham 3-0 along their way.

As such Moyes named a strong line-up despite making five changes from the weekend draw at Southampton, with Tomas Soucek and £30 million (€35 million) new signing Kurt Zouma joining Rice and Antonio in the starting XI at the Maksimir Stadium.

His side opened the scoring in the 22nd minute thanks to a shocking backpass which will give Jesse Lingard flashbacks to his error earlier this week.

Kevin Theophile-Catherine was the guilty party with Antonio onto the loose ball like a flash.

He poked the ball past stranded keeper Dominik Livakovic and from a tight angle rolled it into an empty net.

Ryan Fredericks should have made it two moments later after he was sent through by Antonio’s clever flick, but Livakovic stood up well and saved with his feet.

Another summer signing, Nikola Vlasic, back in his home country, could have added a second before half-time but saw one shot blocked in a crowded penalty area and flashed another just wide.

Instead Rice doubled the lead with a maiden European goal following a trademark surging run five minutes into the second half.

Rice burst through a challenge on the halfway line and charged forward before lashing a shot through Livakovic’s legs.

Pablo Fornals saw a late effort kept out by Livakovic, while Hammers keeper Lukasz Fabianski barely had a shot to save in an impressive opening to West Ham’s European campaign.

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MICHAIL ANTONIO NAMED PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST

Michail Antonio’s record-breaking month for West Ham United has been recognised with August’s EA SPORTS Player of the Month award.

It has been a stunning start to the 2021/22 campaign for Antonio, who scored four times and provided three assists in just three matches.

His two goals in the 4-1 win over Leicester City meant he overtook Paolo Di Canio to become the club’s all-time top Premier League scorer, before he scored his 50th in the competition versus Crystal Palace.

“I saw that I was quite close to becoming the record-holder and I’ve been going for it,” says Antonio. “Now I’m looking to go as far as possible so no one can catch me.

“Every now and then I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m West Ham’s record goalscorer’, because when I signed here I couldn’t even imagine being that.

“Everyone wants to make history at every club they go to. I’ve managed to do it a few times here. I love it, and every time I do it I write it down in my notebook at home.”

This time 10 years ago Antonio was playing as a winger for League One side Colchester United, having only left non-league Tooting & Mitcham United a two years previously, and he has spent most of his career, including much of his time at West Ham, on the wing or at wing-back.

He is now relishing the extra ammunition to score goals as the main striker, and has always been confident in his abilities to lead the line.

“I’ve always been someone who works hard, who is quite strong and physical, and even when I was on the wing I always got a couple of goals.

“Now I’ve got the opportunity where people are trying to supply me with goals. I’m getting more opportunities, and I’m taking them.”

It is the second time Antonio has claimed the EA SPORTS Player of the Month prize, first doing so in July 2020.

The West Ham forward topped a six-man shortlist that also included Marcos Alonso, Said Benrahma, Eric Dier, Demarai Gray and Mason Greenwood.

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OGBONNA, ANTONIO MOVE WESTHAM UP TO SIXTH AFTER THRASHING WESTBROM 3-1

Late goals by Angelo Ogbonna and Michail Antonio sealed a 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion to edge West Ham United closer to UEFA Europa League football next season.

West Ham made a bad start to the match as Declan Rice missed a penalty before Matheus Pereira gave West Brom a 27th-minute lead, scoring directly from a corner for his sixth goal in eight matches.

But Tomas Soucek equalised in first-half stoppage time when he tapped in Said Benrahma’s low cross at the far post.

Aaron Cresswell then struck a post before the left-back’s corner kick set up Ogbonna to put West Ham ahead on 82 minutes.

Antonio added a third on the counter-attack with two minutes left after being played in by Jesse Lingard.

It means West Ham need only a point at home to Southampton on Sunday to guarantee a sixth-placed finish.

Relegated West Brom stay 19th on 26 points and have announced Sam Allardyce will step down from his position as head coach at the end of the season.

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MICHAIL ANTONIO HITS BRACE AS WESTHAM HIT BACK TO BEAT BURNLEY

Michail Antonio returned to revive West Ham’s European push as they came from behind to win 2-1 at Burnley on Monday night.

Playing his first game in a month after a hamstring problem, Antonio scored twice in the space of 10 first-half minutes as the Hammers hit back following Chris Wood’s penalty for the hosts.

West Ham’s 17th league win of the season – a club record in the Premier League era – moved them to within three points of the top four as they recovered from back-to-back defeats against Newcastle and Chelsea.

David Moyes’ side made the trip north having lost four of their last eight in the league – as many as they had lost in the previous 23 – and at risk of seeing a promising season unravel.

And they fell behind with 17 minutes gone when Burnley were awarded only their third penalty of the season.

Ashley Westwood’s floated pass forward to Wood flummoxed Issa Diop, who allowed the New Zealand striker to recover the ball on the byline and try to turn back towards goal, up-ended by Tomas Soucek as he did so.

And it was Wood, fresh from his hat-trick in the 4-0 win at Wolves last week, who stepped up to fire home his 11th goal of the season, though the advantage would prove short-lived.

After Dwight McNeil lost possession to Pablo Fornals close to his own area, Jesse Lingard laid the ball off for Vladimir Coufal to cross, and Antonio got between Matt Lowton and James Tarkowski to head home from close range.

The turnaround was complete before the half-hour mark. Lowton had just taken a painful ball to the nether regions but, as he stumbled around the box, Burnley were hit with another blow largely of their own making.

Antonio was the only West Ham player in a penalty area crowded by Burnley defenders, but was somehow allowed to ghost through and flick Said Benrahma’s teasing cross beyond Nick Pope.

West Ham looked in the mood and almost got a third on the break, with Benrahma cutting in from the left and looking to bend a shot across the face of goal, only to see it bounce the wrong side of a post.

But, as the Hammers poured forward, they were nearly undone as Diop failed to deal with another high ball, allowing Matej Vydra to get on the end of Lowton’s pass.

The ball would not sit down for the Czech striker and, as he tried to lift it over Lukasz Fabianski, Craig Dawson got back to head off the line.

Antonio could have been celebrating a hat-trick 10 minutes into the second half when Fornals’ mis-hit shot came his way, but he kicked the ball against his own standing leg as he tried to turn it in.

Sean Dyche sent on Jay Rodriguez just after the hour and it almost paid immediate dividends.

First Fabianski made a superb save to keep out Josh Brownhill’s shot after Diop half-cleared McNeil’s cross before Rodriguez, who has been on 99 career goals since mid-February, blasted narrowly wide on the follow-up.

It was a rare sight of goal for the hosts as West Ham spent the final 20 minutes pushing for a third, Antonio curling wide from Benrahma’s pass and Pope keeping out Lingard’s deflected shot, but they had done enough for the win.

Burnley sent Pope forward in a frantic finale but, although they could not avoid matching an unwanted club record as they made it eight top-flight home games without victory, Premier League safety looks all but assured.

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ANTONIO, LINGARD STAR AS WESTHAM BEAT SPURS 2-1

Michail Antonio and Jesse Lingard scored a goal in each half as West Ham United survived a late fightback to rise to fourth with a 2-1 derby win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Antonio fired West Ham ahead on five minutes, tapping in after Hugo Lloris had parried his initial flick-on from Jarrod Bowen’s cross.

Lingard doubled the lead just after half-time. His rifled effort was confirmed as a goal after a VAR review overturned an offside in the build-up.

Lucas Moura halved the deficit with a near-post header from substitute Gareth Bale’s 64th-minute corner.

Kane then dragged inches wide before Bale and Son Heung-min both struck the woodwork as a Spurs side who had 68 per cent possession and 16 more shots in total were unable to salvage a point.

David Moyes’s first win over Jose Mourinho lifts West Ham above Chelsea on 45 points, two ahead of the Blues.

Spurs remain ninth, nine points behind but with a match in hand.

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ANTONIO HELPS WESTHAM EDGE WESTBROM AS LONDONERS EXTEND WIN RUN.

Michail Antonio’s second-half strike claimed three points for West Ham United as they stretched their unbeaten run to five.

Manuel Lanzini twice went close for the hosts in the first half, while Aaron Cresswell and Said Benrahma linked up well on the Hammers’ left.

When Benrahma swung over a deep cross in first-half stoppage time, Vladimir Coufal squared it back for Jarrod Bowen to chest into the net.

Six minutes after the break, the Baggies were level when Matheus Pereira slammed a low, angled shot beyond Lukasz Fabianski.

Eight minutes later Dara O’Shea did brilliantly to head a close-range Lanzini effort off the line, before Declan Rice twice went close.

On 66 minutes, Cresswell’s delivery was nodded back across goal by substitute Andriy Yarmolenko, and Antonio hooked in the winner.

There was still time for West Brom substitute Darnell Furlong to shoot just wide in the final minute.

After their third successive league victory West Ham climb to seventh, with 32 points, their highest tally at the halfway point of a Premier League season.

West Brom remain 19th on 11 points.

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ANTONIO’S EARLY STRIKE HELP WESTHAM EDGE BURNLEY AT THE LONDON STADIUM.

Michail Antonio’s ninth-minute goal made it back-to-back victories for West Ham United as they beat Burnley to move up to eighth.

The West Ham forward, making his first league start since 30 November, tapped in at the far post from Pablo Fornals’ left-wing cross to make it 10 goals across his last 12 starts in the competition.

West Ham nearly doubled their lead when Angelo Ogbonna headed against a post, before Chris Wood flashed a shot wide for Burnley as it remained 1-0 at half-time.

Antonio was denied a second when his header was cleared off the line by Ben Mee, who missed a chance to equalise, along with substitute Jay Rodriguez.

West Ham have 29 points, while Burnley drop to 17th on 16 points, four points above the relegation zone.