Wednesday 13 January 2016 16:25, UK
Dimitri Payet is back in the headlines and the stats highlight just how important he is to West Ham.
The French winger marked his first Premier League start since November with a match-winning performance as the Hammers came from behind to beat Bournemouth 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Payet cancelled out Harry Arter's opening goal with a stunning free kick from 30 yards out at the Vitality Arena, and he turned provider a few minutes later when he wriggled free on the right flank to set up Enner Valencia's first goal.
Payet, who joined West Ham from Marseille for £10.75m in the summer, had been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury against Everton on November 7, but his performance against Bournemouth was a continuation of a fine start to the campaign.
The 28-year-old has scored six goals and claimed four assists in 13 Premier League starts for the east Londoners, and his heroics on the south coast moved them above Manchester United and into fifth place in the Premier League.
"It was a team win but Payet made the difference," said manager Slaven Bilic. "West Ham fans love that kind of player with a bit of magic and he has got more than a bit."
Payet is already a hero among Hammers fans, and the stats highlight just how much difference he makes.
Bilic raised eyebrows in some quarters when he compared Payet to Mesut Ozil in January, but the stats show he is not far behind the Arsenal man in terms of creativity, with his 52 chances created coming at an impressive rate of 3.7 per game.
And as well as the technical skill, Bilic says Payet's attitude is second to none. "What I admire most is his character, because that is what all true champions have got," he said. "When he makes a mistake - and I am talking about training here - he is crazy and angry at himself and that is what is makes him a leader."
Bilic insists the winger's impact has not surprised him. "I don't know why people are that surprised because he came from Marseille, and Marseille is one of the biggest clubs in Europe and he was doing similar things there," he added.
He is deciding games, he is keeping the ball and he is doing the things which are very hard in football.
"Maybe we give him more responsibility and more confidence and he is enjoying it and we are enjoying him big time. But it is not only about his quality. He is deciding games, he is keeping the ball and he is doing the things which are very hard in football."
West Ham's unbeaten run now stretches to eight games and they are just one point off the Champions League places. With their terrific talisman back in the frame, there could be plenty more to come…
