BURNLEY’S defensive woes continued at the London Stadium as they fell to a 4-2 defeat to West Ham.

The Clarets were second best for almost the entire afternoon in the capital, but having conceded to Marko Arnautovic and Felipe Anderson, they found plenty of resolve to hit back on both occasions through Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Chris Wood.

But Anderson’s second goal six minutes from the end secured a deserved victory for the Hammers and Javier Hernandez rubbed salt in the wound in stoppage time to leave the Clarets wondering what has gone wrong at the back, having conceded 13 times in the last three games and 25 in 11 league outings this term.

It was the worst possible start from Burnley. James Tarkowski turned back after receiving the ball from Ashley Westwood but under pressure from Arnautovic he fluffed his back pass, allowing the Hammers’ forward to latch on the ball and finish beyond Joe Hart.

The Clarets goalkeeper had a difficult season on loan with West Ham last season, including a mistake in this fixture that led to Burnley’s third goal, but he’s been much improved since moving to Turf Moor and he made himself big to deny Arnautovic a second after the Austrian had exchanged a pass with Felipe Anderson to get in behind the defence.

Hart was beaten when Anderson curled a fine effort beyond him, but the backtracking Ben Mee somehow managed to flick the effort over the bar with his head from only a yard out, with replays of the clearance drawing gasps from the London Stadium crowd.

The Clarets then had a let-off when Steven Defour looked to bring down Grady Diangana in the box. While the fleet-footed winger made the most of the contact, there was some contact and his trickery had taken him past the Belgium midfielder, but Roger East waved away the penalty appeals.

It looked like a matter of time until the Hammers scored again but it was Burnley who equalised on the stroke of half-time.

Lukasz Fabianski’s only involvement until that point had been to unconvingly claw away Ben Mee’s header from Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s corner, but when Ashley Westwood was first to a loose ball in West Ham’s half, he quickly found Gudmundsson with a slide-rule pass and the Icelander steered a neat finish beyond Fabianski.

The Hammers were the dominant side again after the break, with Hart keeping long-range efforts from Robert Snodgrass and Marko Arnautovic out, before they restored the lead midway through the half.

Again the Clarets had a hand in their downfall. Defour’s pass on halfway put Westwood in trouble and he could do little but clip the ball forward hopefully. It allowed West Ham to break and Diangana’s pass released Anderson, who finished through the legs of Hart.

But Burnley again showed their mettle in finding a response. On came Ashley Barnes, Chris Wood and Robbie Brady and two of the subs combined for the equaliser with 13 minutes to go.

It was Brady’s out-swinging corner that was met by Wood, who climbed highest in the area to power home a header from seven yards.

The hosts came close to taking the lead for the third time when Arnautovic’s quick feet played Anderson in, but while his curling effort beat Hart it didn’t get beyond the post.

Anderson was the hero moments later though. When Arnautovic’s shot was blocked the rebound fell to the Brazilian. Hart had his shot covered but the ball clipped Mee’s heel and trickled beyond the Clarets goalkeeper and over the line.

The Clarets almost responded for a third time. Charlie Taylor made ground down the left, beating two men to reach the byline and clip a cross in for Wood and his header clipped the bar with Fabianski stranded.

But the result was put beyond doubt in injury time. Michail Antonio chested Anderson’s pass into the path of Javier Hernandez and he finished beyond Hart.