Tomáš Souček goal. Check. Come from behind Premier League win. Check. Three vital Premier League points for West Ham United. Check.
Six days after climbing off the substitutes’ bench to complete a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United, the Czech midfielder repeated the trick, bundling the ball home to put the Hammers ahead against Burnley with 13 minutes to play.
For nearly six years now, Souček has stepped up time and time again for his team, and he did so again on Saturday, reacting quickest to convert when Lucas Paquetá’s cross-shot was parried into his path by Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka.
It was his 44th goal for the Club, and he followed it up by playing a huge role in what turned out to be Kyle Walker-Peters’ match-winner three minutes from time, unleashing a low shot that Dúbravka could only push into the path of his fellow replacement. It was the No2’s first goal in Claret and Blue.
For the second weekend in succession, West Ham had come from a goal down to win, albeit former Hammer Josh Cullen’s late goal took the gloss off things by making the final score 3-2.
That said, five goals and a big home win all looked most unlikely during the opening 35 minutes, when both teams laboured in possession and looked incapable of creating, let alone taking, chances.
Then, almost out of nothing, Burnley scored. Quilindschy Hartman lofted the ball forward, Zian Flemming headed down, Lesley Ugochukwu crossed and Flemming got above Maximilian Kilman to nod past Alphonse Areola.
As happened against Newcastle the weekend previously, conceding belatedly sparked the Irons into life. Jean-Clair Todibo and Callum Wilson both had headers blocked before the latter levelled a minute before half-time.
Crysencio Summerville and Freddie Potts combined from a corner, Summerville’s shot deflected up off Maxime Estève and Wilson headed in his eighth career goal against Burnley at the far post.
Watch highlights from London Stadium in the video player above.
