After his matchwinning strike saw West Ham down Swansea City at London Stadium on Saturday, Cheikhou Kouyate has labelled his goal as his most important for the club.
The Senegalese midfielder drove home from 25 yards on the stroke of half time, a strike which proved decisive as the Hammers sealed a 1-0 win over the relegation-threatened Swans.
“This victory is very important for the team because we have had a few difficult weeks and now this victory is good for the fans, for the players and for the staff,†said Kouyate.
“This is my most important goal for West Ham and this goal came in a good moment, but the really important thing today was not the goal, but the three points. We must continue to focus and work hard.
“There was big, big pressure because the team needed to win this game. Swansea had one chance to score late on, but Sam Byram was there to save the team, so we can go to Sunderland next week and fight for some points and go for the win.â€
As well as chances throughout to add to the lead, West Ham will be indebted to a resolute backline which held firm after a tough run in the Premier League.
“We have this in our team, you know,†Kouyate said. “Last year was unbelievable, but this year has not been a good year, we know.
“We needed to keep our focus and keep working hard and we knew one day it would turn for West Ham and now we have got three points that were very important for the team.
“The Premier League is not easy. Every game is hard and we have a lot of injuries. We have worked hard and now we need to focus on the next games we have got coming up.â€
