Cheikhou Kouyate said Sunday's 2-0 win at Arsenal was the result of a collective effort
Cheikhou Kouyate knew he was going to get his chance to score against Arsenal on Sunday - as assist-maker Dimitri Payet told him so before the game!
Payet's 43rd minute free-kick was perfect for Kouyate to beat Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech to the ball and nod the Hammers into a lead they never relinquished.
The Senegal man was thrilled to play his part but was quick to deflect the praise onto his teammates for a collective triumph at Emirates Stadium.
He said: "Dimitri told me before that he'd give me one ball to score, and he did! It is a fantastic result for us and a very, very good start to the season.
"To win the first game is great, but to win away against a big team like Arsenal [is even better] and I'm very happy for all the team.
"The secret was playing together as one team. We know playing against Arsenal is difficult, but you need to work hard as one team to get a result."
Come along to the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday for a packed day of events. We've got a shop signing, Open Training and an exclusive Q&A with Slaven Bilic and players. Click here for full details.
Payet's 43rd minute free-kick was perfect for Kouyate to beat Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech to the ball and nod the Hammers into a lead they never relinquished.
The Senegal man was thrilled to play his part but was quick to deflect the praise onto his teammates for a collective triumph at Emirates Stadium.
He said: "Dimitri told me before that he'd give me one ball to score, and he did! It is a fantastic result for us and a very, very good start to the season.
"To win the first game is great, but to win away against a big team like Arsenal [is even better] and I'm very happy for all the team.
"The secret was playing together as one team. We know playing against Arsenal is difficult, but you need to work hard as one team to get a result."
Come along to the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday for a packed day of events. We've got a shop signing, Open Training and an exclusive Q&A with Slaven Bilic and players. Click here for full details.