The Numbers Game – West Ham United

We draw the curtain on our summer series of team-by-team analysis articles for members by dropping in on West Ham United.

Initially, we assess the performance levels on a team basis in an attempt to spot trends or improvements.

We then dig deeper into the player data, analysing the key individuals as we scour for early targets ahead of Friday’s Gameweek 1 deadline.

We’ll also highlight the Hammers’ displays in light of Dimitri Payet’s decision to return to former club Marseille midway through the campaign, in order to assess the impact of the Frenchman’s departure.

The Hammers thrived in Payet’s only full season at the club in 2015/16. He pulled the strings as they claimed seventh position, scoring 65 times (a tally bettered by only three other sides) and earning 62 points.

But last season was a pale imitation of that campaign. With Payet leaving the club midway through the campaign, Slaven Bilic’s men netted on just 47 occasions and limped home in eleventh position on 45 points – just five clear of seventeenth placed Burnley.