Michail Antonio reveals failed perfect hat-trick attempt in West Ham win

Michail Antonio says his fluffed chance to score a third goal in West Ham's win at Burnley was a failed attempt to complete a perfect hat-trick.

The striker scored twice on his return from injury to lift the Hammers up to fifth in the race for European football, a header to equaliser and then a toe-poke with his right foot to convert a Said Benrahma cross.

Antonio was gifted a golden chance to make it three when a Pablo Fornals shot fell to him just yards from goal, but the striker got the ball stuck under his feet with the goal gaping.

After the game, Antonio joked that the bad miss was down to awkwardly finish with his left foot before explaining why he has toned down his goal celebrations.

"I hit it on my left to get the perfect hat-trick but it didn't quite work out for me," he said.

"I'm a person where I have had a couple of goals disallowed through VAR and I don't want to be there doing a dance and then the goal get disallowed - it would be embarrassing," he added.

"So I have kind of toned down the celebrations because I don't want to be doing a dance, there are a couple of times I was about to do one and then there's a handball or something like that and VAR has killed it."

The victory moved West Ham back above Tottenham and into fifth, three points behind Chelsea in the race for the final Champions League spot.

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