Can Irons strike while Payet's hot?

Ditiri payet has created 39 goal scoring.

West Ham United will need to buck a trend if they are to arrest a poor sequence of results against Chelsea at the weekend, but the form of Dimitri Payet gives them huge cause for optimism.

The Hammers host Joe Mourinho's side having won just one of their last 18 Barclays Premier League London derbies against the defending champions (W1 D3 L14), who have not conceded a single goal in any of their last five BPL matches against them.

While history is against West Ham, manager Slaven Bilic can take heart from the impressive performances his team are producing this season, inspired by their summer signing from France.

Payet has created more goalscoring chances than any other BPL player so far this season, with 39 opportunities carved out for team-mates. Of those, the Frenchman has had a hand in eight goals (five goals, three assists) in nine appearances.

And while it is true that Mourinho has lost only five of his 52 London derbies in the league as a manager (W36 D11 L5), Chelsea have not opened the defence of their BPL title as they would have hoped.

The Blues are six points and eight places behind fourth-placed West Ham after their second-worst start to a league campaign at this stage. The Hammers have made their best start to a top-flight season after nine matches. Bilic's side have won London derbies against Arsenal and Crystal Palace on that run.

To follow West Ham v Chelsea as it happens, visit Carlsberg Live Match Centre on live.premierleague.com.