West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate knows the importance of tonight's clash with Stoke City.

Kouyate knows victory over Stoke will go a long way towards securing the Hammers' Premier League status.

“We need to go up again because nothing is finished," Kouyate told the Official West Ham Programme. “We have another final on Monday night against Stoke, because they need points and we also need points.

“We need to win this game and we need everybody to know this game is a final. If we win this game, we are going up because we need to go up, not down.

“All home games, we need to win, because this is a very, very crucial point of the season and we need everyone – the players, the fans, everybody.

“The last home game was unbelievable. In the first half, all the fans were behind us and it makes it easier for all the players. When you play at home, you need the fans, and in the game against Southampton they were unbelievable.

“We need them again on Monday night to win some more points."