Not every player signs a contract extension in a club just eight months after joining that club, this does rarely happen in football but when you are on form like Dmitri Payet then the unusual becomes usual.
After moving to East London from Marseille for £10.75m in the summer, Payet has not only impressed in the EPL but has set a standard for debut players this season.
Payet is the orchestra of the West Ham attack as his stats suggest. This season he has eight goals and seven assists in 1862 minutes of game time and 21 games. The former Le Havre academy graduate can also play many variety of positions in attack (central attacking midfield , left forward role, and left attacking midfield). He has an average of 1.9 shots per game, 770 passes of which 82 percent were completed and 60 percent forward passes. His shot accuracy is also impressive at 65 percent and he has created 70 chances this season .
It will be unfair to talk only about the playmakers stats as West Ham won eight games out of 14 , and scored 28 goals with a win percentage of 57 percent with him in the team before his ankle injury in November. During that period (Payet's injury layoff) Slaven Bilic's side won just once in seven games scoring a mere five goals (14.3 percent win). It was therefore not surprising that the team picked form after his return from injury , winning three straight games against Liverpool, Wolves(FA Cup) and Bournemouth.
Payet is the spark of the team and brings that little extra ingredient needed to win matches. In his eight month stay in the EPL, he has become famous for his set piece prowess, trickery , long shots and key passes though he still has to work on his concentration and defensive contribution.
To summarise, the words of Coach Slaven Bilic's will come In handy : "Payet is taking the whole team 20 yards up the pitch without kicking the ball and that is important. He is also making all the players around him better . Payet is not only about quality. He is deciding games, he is keeping the ball and doing the things which are very hard in football ".
Sitting 5th in the table on 49 points, three points behind 3rd placed Arsenal, West Ham have all to play and with the summer move to the London Olympic Stadium, it becomes all the more imperative for the team to qualify for Champions League football next season. It is still a long way to know whether Payet can help grant the fans such wish but what is certain is that Payet is already a club legend in Upton Park in his eight month stay .
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