Sunderland will have to keep West Ham's Dimitri Payet quiet if they are to pick up any points on Saturday against Slaven Bilic's side.

The Frenchman has maintained his form throughout the season, and his fellow countryman Lamine Kone has described him as "one of the best players of the season."

Kone and Payet have faced off in the past in France and will meet again at Upton Park when the two sides meet in the Premier League.

Kone admires Payet's talents

The Sunderland defender singled out Payet for praise, following the attacking midfielder's stellar performance in the FA Cup against Blackburn Rovers.

"They're [West Ham] a good team this year with a lot of good players, like Payet," said Kone.

Payet celebrating goal in the FA Cup. | Photo: Getty
Payet celebrating goal in the FA Cup. | Photo: Getty

Kone spent five and a half years at Lorient, playing against Payet during his time at Lille and Marseille, and admitted that Payet has "shown what he can do in the Premier League."

Sunderland in "confident frame of mind"

Despite the talents of Payet, Kone believes that Sunderland are in a "confident frame of mind" following their win against Manchester United, and hopes that they can pick up "a point or maybe three."

The Black Cats' performances have improved since the January transfer window, which saw Sam Allardyce bring in four new players, including Kone.

After the 2-1 win over Manchester United, Sunderland headed to Dubai for warm weather training, which was good for the side according to Kone.

"It has done us good to recuperate over the past fortnight, recharging our batteries and preparing for the next games."

Sunderland appear to be hitting form at the right time, as the race for Premier League survival hots up.

The Wearsiders have picked up four points from the last two games, which also included a 2-2 draw at Anfield where they came from 2-0 down in the final 10 minutes.

Sunderland remain in the relegation zone with 12 games to go, but avoiding defeat against West Ham could see them move out of the bottom three.

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