“Tonight it’s like we win the game – we deserved it,” he said in his post-match interview, “but in the end it’s a good point for the team.
“In the last few weeks we’ve conceded too many goals, and afterwards we spoke together and said we need to keep a clean sheet. I think this is very good for the team and very good for confidence.”
Kouyate spoke of his comfort playing in central defence, despite playing in midfield for much of his career.
“I know this position because I play there for my national team,” he said. “When I was at Anderlecht, I also played some games in the Champions League there. Lots of players help me: [Scott] Dann, Gaz [Cahill] and [James] Tomkins.
“I need to give my best but we have experienced players. We have Dann and Gaz, and they help me very much to make my game better. I’m happy to help the team.”
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