It’s that time of the month again where I award the Player of the Month accolade to the best performing Hammer in September. It seems like only yesterday that we were raving about Cheikhou Kouyate’s August , but September has flown by and it has been a rollercoaster of a thirty days. Perhaps a trickier decision to make following several sensational performances, but I’m going to award the trophy to: Dimitri Payet.
There are always added pressures when you pay an eight figure fee for a new player, but the Frenchman has not disappointed and has been a breath of fresh air at Upton Park. The Irons were unbeaten in the Premier League in September, picking up seven points out of a possible nine. September started with a home encounter against Newcastle. At the time, Slaven Bilic’s side were yet to pick up any points as the hosts of a game.
That changed though thanks to one man. Payet scored both goals on the night, a spectacular strike in the first half after being teed up by new captain Mark Noble, whilst a counter-attacking second half move saw him score Victor Moses’ rebounded strike. The second September fixture saw a tricky trip to the Etihad, against Manchester City. The 2013/14 champions had not even conceded a goal, let alone lost a match, yet West Ham shocked the division again with their third away win of the campaign.
Payet setup Victor Moses for the first goal, and proved exactly why he’s created more chances in Europe’s top five leagues than any other player since 2011. Playing as a number ten behind Diafra Sakho, the teamwork and the chemistry between the lads is only getting better, with Sakho getting the second goal of that game.
The final league game of the month, a home game against newly-promoted Norwich City, was treated with caution following home defeats to Leicester and Bournemouth. West Ham fell behind early on, but a Payet cross landed on a plate for Sakho, who slotted in to equalise. The East London club eventually came out with a 2-2 draw, and found themselves in the top five of the Premier League by the end of the month.
The 28-year-old’s arrival at Upton Park is already paying off, and there were worries that the departures of Kevin Nolan and Stewart Downing would lead to a lack of creativity at the Boleyn Ground. However, Payet is a provider and it is hoped that this fine run of form continues. Postman Payet always delivers.
