MICHAIL ANTONIO became the first player in over three years to score four goals in a Premier League away game as West Ham trounced Norwich.
A ruthless performance from the Hammers earned a 4-0 win at Carrow Road on Saturday, sending the Canaries tumbling back to the Championship.
Two goals either side of the break from Antonio, 30, meant he became the ninth player in Premier League history to achieve the impress four-goal feat.
Harry Kane last did so in May 2017, in Tottenham’s 6-1 rout of Leicester.
And only three other players have managed to bang in four on the road since the turn of the century.
Spurs were on the receiving end of Edin Dzeko’s quartet in August 2011 after Andrey Arshavin’s famous four-goal salvo at Liverpool two years earlier.
Michael Owen also notched four times in a comprehensive Reds win at West Brom in April 2003.
The late 1990s were something of a boom period for quartets with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jurgen Klinsmann and Gianluca Vialli all putting their opponents to the sword.
Antonio put on a dominant display on Saturday lunchtimeCredit: AP:Associated Press
In fact, Norwich boast the first-ever player to score four goals in a single Premier League away game after Efan Ekoku hammered Everton in September 1993.
Antonio’s dominant performance, the first of its kind for West Ham in the division, included a whopping nine shots and came on a huge afternoon for the club’s future.
A six-point gap now sits between David Moyes’ side and the relegation zone ahead of Bournemouth’s match with Leicester.
Antonio has been a major part of their upturn in form, scoring in the win over Chelsea and draw at Newcastle before Saturday’s romp.
Saturday’s four-goal display began with a far-post finish from a corner before his second in first-half stoppage time.
And the first hat-trick of the striker’s career came with a rebound after Tim Krul parried a one-on-one, before a tidy close-range finish rounded matters off.
It’s been free flowing attacking football since we came back, the gaffer told me to wait in the box and I’m just pouncing on opportunities.”
Michail Antonio
Speaking to BT Sport after the game, he credited Moyes with giving the Hammers a dose of attacking freedom in their relegation battle.
Antonio said: “It’s an amazing feeling, when I scored the first two I could see they were quite open so it was a great opportunity.
“This is my first match ball and hopefully I can get some more.
“It’s been free flowing attacking football since we came back, the gaffer told me to wait in the box and I’m just pouncing on those opportunities.”
Michail Antonio uses Playstation remote to exercise with as he train’s at home to Rocky theme tune
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
