West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has hailed the influence of Marko Arnautovic at the London Stadium, describing the Austrian as “unbelievable”.

Arnautovic joined the Hammers last summer from Stoke City, and endured a difficult start to life in East London.

However since the arrival of David Moyes in November, the former Potter has flourished, and is now the club’s top scorer with nine goals and four assists to his name.

Kouyate, whose own form has also drastically improved under Moyes, says the Austrian has been a saving grace for the club, both on and off the pitch.

“Marko is an unbelievable guy. He is a great player and he is here for us through good and bad,” the No8 told whufc.com.

“We could be down without Marko because he has scored so many goals for us, he is on fire.

“I love this guy – he is a great player, he speaks to everyone and makes us laugh. He is a teammate.

“When everything is not good, he is here and when you are in a bad moment you need guys like Marko. This is why I love this man.

“I think it’s possible he can score another six or seven goals before the end of the season. He has good feelings and has everything he needs to do it.”