Antonio double sends Hammers back to fifth

Burnley 1 West Ham 2

Can the Hammers do it on a cold wet night in Burnley? An unexpected boost is the return of Antonio, who immediately shows just how integral his hold-up play is to the side, while an injury to Mark Noble forces Moyes to pick a very attacking side. 

Lanzini curls a shot on to the roof of the net as the Hammers start well. Yet it's Burnley who take the lead. Chris Wood gets behind Diop, flicks the ball over his head and then collides with Soucek. It's the sort of penalty that wouldn't have been given in the pre-VAR age. Wood duly dispatches it past Fabianski.

The Irons' response is instant. The tireless Fornals wins a loose ball and finds Lingard, who plays it back to Coufal. RoboCop's cross allows Antonio to get between two defenders and head home. Seven minutes later Said Benrahma finds enough space on the left to play in a teasing cross that Antonio pokes home at the far post. 

The only negative is that Wood is getting in behind Diop and after another mix-up Dawson has to head off the line. It could easily be three before the break as Benrahma fires in a cross that drifts just wide with Antonio almost diverting it in. 

What's been most surprising is the excellent performance of Lanzini in the Mark Noble role. Playing deeper perhaps negates the loss of pace since Manuel's injuries and he proves expert at feeding Benrahma, Fornals and Lingard. 

Thierry Henry is in the Sky studio and the second half sees West Ham resembling Wenger's Arsenal as we try to walk the ball into the net. Antonio misses a great chance for a hat-trick as he fires against his standing leg. It might prove costly, as Rodriguez then pokes wastefully wide after Fabianski parries Brownhill's shot.

The Hammers almost score a great team goal as Benrahma feeds Antonio, who shoots just past the post and late on Lingard tests Pope again. We've had 22 shots and played some great football, though we're still somehow hanging on to the end. Coufal has his usual excellent game, Diop has a better second half and the returning Dawson is superb at the back, mopping up all threats from Burnley's long balls. 

It's the Hammers' eighth away win. That's a new record set for WHU Premier League away wins in a season. If we win the next four games we will finish at least fifth, maybe fourth. Even if we don't, the Europa League is now a distinct possibility. After two defeats in a row WHU had to get something out of this. The only downside is that Antonio is no longer doing silly celebrations because of VAR, though with Michail back it is all looking much more optimistic. Irons!