Divisive star Michail Antonio is now just one goal off yet another West Ham scoring record after his European brace.
As West Ham fans will know, Antonio is officially West Ham’s all-time record Premier League goalscorer.
But there’s no way to sugar coat it, the striker has not been the same player over the last 15 months and it has showed in West Ham’s results, so reliant was David Moyes on his performances and goals.
The Jamaican forward now seriously divides opinion at West Ham. His woeful finishing at Man United last week arguably cost the Hammers a place in the quarter-finals of a wide open FA Cup.
He has been heavily criticised by supporters for his performances. But many feel he deserves to be cut more slack given what he has achieved at the club.
Antonio has made a habit of breaking records during his time at West Ham and he’s only too aware.
Antonio has been a history maker at West Ham. Scoring in the last game at Upton Park and the first Premier League game at the London Stadium are just two examples.
Scoring the only goal as West Ham became the first away team to ever win at the shiny new stadium of bitter rivals Tottenham.
He has been West Ham’s first hat-trick scorer for many years and was the first West Ham player to score four goals in a Premier League match.
Last season Antonio became West Ham’s all-time leading Premier League goalscorer.
Well divisive star Antonio is now just one goal off yet another West Ham scoring record after his European brace.
The striker scored two goals in the win over AEK Larnaca in Cyprus.
West Ham have competed in UEFA competitions on 10 occasions in the past with the 2022/23 Europa Conference League campaign marking their 11th entry into non-domestic competition.
The Hammers have twice won European silverware, lifting the European Cup Winners Cup in 1965 and the Intertoto Cup in 1999.
Given the relative lack of European football over the club’s 128-year history, it will be no surprise to learn that the list of top European goalscorers is relatively lightweight.
And that means Antonio now stands on the verge of yet more West Ham history.
West Ham’s highest European scorers in history – Johnny Byrne and David Cross – have six goals each.
All of those came in the European Cup Winners Cup.
Jarrod Bowen drew level with them on six goals when he scored in a 2-1 win over Anderlecht back in October.
Said Benrahma is next on the list with five ahead of Gianluca Scamacca, Brian Dear, Frank Lampard junior, Martin Peters and Keith Robson – who are all tied on four each.
Hammers greats Billy Bonds, Sir Trevor Brooking, Billy Jennings, Alan Sealey, Johnny Sissons and Mark Noble – as well as skipper Declan Rice, former striker Paulo Wanchope, Craig Dawson and Manuel Lanzini – are next on the list with three each.
Last night against Larnaca, Antonio equalled Bowen and West Ham’s other top European goalscorers by bringing his own tally to six.
Agonisingly, Antonio and Bowen could both have gone clear as West Ham’s all-time European top goalscorer in Cyprus.
Antonio hit the inside of the post to be denied a perfect hat-trick and Bowen fired wide when he should have scored after coming on in the second half.
They say records are there to be broken. Now Antonio – and Bowen – have another in their sights ahead of the return leg next Thursday night.
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