Michail Antonio sets ambitious West Ham target for the season after resilient Watford display

Michail Antonio has admitted West Ham's ambition for the remainder of the campaign is to secure a top-four finish and qualification for next season's Champions League.

West Ham's narrow 1-0 win over Watford moved the Hammers into fourth spot at the expense of Manchester United who could only manage a 1-1 draw with Burnley.

The race for a top-four spot is a close one with just six points separating the Hammers, Arsenal, Man Utd, Spurs and Wolves. However, all of the Hammers rivals have between one and three games in hand on David Moyes' side.

Arsenal and Wolves have played two fewer games than West Ham, Manchester United are one point behind with one game in hand whilst Spurs have three matches to make up the four points between the two London clubs.

West Ham have the points on the board and it is up to their top-four rivals to close the gap and Antonio is determined to improve on last season's sixth-placed finish. Next up for the Hammers is a trip to Leicester, a team the striker is wary of.

"They have quality players there who can score goals and create. We're both pushing for the same things obviously they are always in and around in trying to push for the top four and that is what we are trying to do this season," Antonio said on The Footballer's Football podcast.

"Right now we need to stamp our ground and show that we are going to keep fighting until the end of the season so hopefully we can go there and get a great result and keep pushing on for the season."

The striker admitted the Hammers' last performance was not of their usual standard but is pleased with the resilience the team showed.

"Obviously against Watford, it wasn’t one of our best games as a team, but getting the three points and being resilient in those moments is key to us finishing where we want to finish at the end of the season," he told the club website.

"The quality that we have, and with the players that we have, we know that we can keep going and we can keep pushing until the end of the season.

"Hopefully we can keep going and we can pick up on our form and our gelling together, and have a strong final third to the season."