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West Ham: Returning Dimitri Payet can make the difference against Watford

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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West Ham have been missing their talisman so far this season, but Dimitri Payet is back to make a difference against Watford.

Dimitri Payet was one of the stories of last season’s Premier League. This season hasn’t started off quite the same way for the West Ham United playmaker, but Payet is set to return to the starting lineup against Watford this weekend, according to the Mirror.

Payet came on as a substitute during the Hammers’ opening fixture of the season. The team were trailing Chelsea 1-0 at the time on the road at Stamford Bridge. Then Payet, with little preseason training under his belt, picked up an injury that saw him miss the next two league games.

The Frenchman also missed the debacle that was the two-legged Europa League exit at the hands of Astra Giurgiu. There’s no doubt a few others who probably wished they missed that embarrassing defeat, too. But Payet is back now, anyway.

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Slaven Bilic knows how big of a loss Payet has been. You can’t say West Ham would have won any more games than they did during his absence, but what you can do is say they would have played better than they did. That they would have presented more danger to the opposition. Created more chances.

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Probably scored more, too. Payet was involved in 21 Premier League goals in his debut season at the club. Nine of them were goals of his own and 12 were assists for teammates. The 29-year-old’s 12 assists was good enough to tie for third highest in the league.

Payet cemented his worth with a fantastic Euro 2016 showing. France may not have won the trophy that they wanted, the story might not have ended how they wanted, but the Payet chapter was a highlight.

The Frenchman is irreplaceable for West Ham. Now he just needs to stay fit whilst the team builds up some momentum as the fixture list eases up a little bit. Manchester City and Chelsea made for tough opposition in two of the club’s opening three games.

Now the chance to get on a roll comes with Watford, West Brom, Southampton and Middlesbrough to come. Games where West Ham will have much more of the ball and Payet will be the man who will know how to use it.

That’s why he’s there. To bring those Payet specials. That little bit of magic. It’s something West Ham and Bilic have missed in his short absence. But he’s back now and ready to make a difference.

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