Michail Antonio says West Ham United will head for Wolverhampton Wanderers desperate to bounce back from defeat at AFC Wimbledon.
The Hammers suffered a humbling 4-2 loss to EFL League One’s bottom club, seeing their hopes of ending a 20-year wait to lift a trophy extended for another season.
Antonio admitted Saturday’s reverse was ‘embarrassing’ before vowing to give everything to help West Ham return to winning ways in Tuesday evening’s Premier League fixture at Wolves.
We need to be on it from the kick-off until the final whistle, as we have been in most of our games this season
Michail Antonio
“It definitely didn’t go as we’d hoped it would,” said the No30. "It’s just one of those things where, when you play a team from a lower division, it’s all about the fight and, to be honest, I don’t feel we had the fight we needed to beat them.
“After the third goal, we managed to change things and get back into the game a little bit, but it just wasn’t good enough. We need to start from the first minute and not minute forty-six.
“I can’t put my finger on it, to be honest. They just had more fight than us and we just started the game really slowly. Wimbledon were bottom of League One and they were 3-0 up against us and, to be honest, it’s embarrassing.”
Speaking immediately after Saturday’s defeat, manager Manuel Pellegrini and captain Mark Noble were both brutally honest in their assessment of West Ham’s performance, admitting Wimbledon had simply had a greater desire than the Irons.
Antonio agreed before insisting the Hammers will go to Molineux – a ground he won 3-0 at with Nottingham Forest on his most-recent visit in November 2014 – determined to put that disappointment behind them.
“We can’t afford to do that again on Tuesday and we can’t afford to do that in any game, to be honest,” he said. “We need to be on it from the kick-off until the final whistle, as we have been in most of our games this season.
“Wolves beat us at home earlier this season and we know it won’t be an easy game, but we are all determined to show we are a better team than we showed on Saturday night.
“Although we lost our last game, our results have been good for the last couple of months overall, so we’ll be looking to bounce back and get another win in the Premier League at Molineux.”