West Ham’s results right now might be worrying, but Michail Antonio’s injury is a bigger problem as he holds the key to turning their form around.
West Ham United showed their spirit to attempt a fightback against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, ultimately falling short in a 3-2 reverse.
It was a performance that should give Slaven Bilic some encouragement as his side wait on their second Premier League win of the season.
But Bilic and his men were also dealt a hefty blow as key man Michail Antonio suffered an injury that forced his first-half withdrawal.
“It’s a groin, he fell a bit,” Bilic said. “I just spoke to him, he didn’t pull it big time but we have to scan it first to see how big it is, how bad it is.”
Any long-term lay-off would represent a huge problem for West Ham, whose inspiration has come from Antonio in the early stages of this season.
After three consecutive defeats to start the league campaign, the Hammers got off the mark against Huddersfield Town and saw Antonio play a starring role.
Bilic’s side need to provide the ammunition for Javier Hernandez and Andy Carroll to find the net – and Antonio is the obvious candidate, having become one of West Ham’s key men in recent years.
They remain on just four points after six games and their chances of improving that return will greatly decrease if Antonio is unavailable.
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