Angelo Ogbonna believes his West Ham United team deserved their hard-fought 1-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday for the effort they gave over the 90 minutes.
Michail Antonio's ninth minute goal ultimately proved enough for a third straight win - but it was the fourth consecutive clean sheet that the Hammers kept which gave them the platform for victory.
West Ham had their chances to add a game-clinching second, with nobody going closer than when Ogbonna hit the post in the run-up to half-time, but when that extra goal would not arrive it was over to the team's defensive mettle to repel Burnley's late pressure.
The Hammers stood up to the test and passed with flying colours, much to the delight of Ogbonna.
"We’re really happy," he beamed. "The guys have come in and done a fantastic job. Daws came in, he trained really hard, is in the team and now we’ve kept another clean sheet.
"All the back-line, for the guys, this is what we needed.
"The effort we put in is what pleased me the most. The effort was fantastic, we keep performing and I think it’s important that whoever plays is on the front foot."
Ogbonna was thrilled for Antonio too, who marked his first Premier League start since late November with his fourth goal of the season.
"We’re a team who are hard to play against. We keep our shape and you can see we are a totally different team now," he added.
"And Michail is massive for us. He stretches the team well and keeps the ball with his strengths. He’s very important for the way we play.
"I think he is one of the most important players in this team."
