You're dead right my old mate, it's bad enough now - I shudder to think how doddery I'll be when I get to your age!

Kouyate doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He has been a fantastic buy for us, played CB for a season to help the team out and did a great job. Now back in his favoured position in midfield and putting in great performances, but he generally goes unnoticed.
I would suggest, we would miss him more than McArthur.

We certainly missed him when he was away at AFCON (and partying afterwards). We showed last night and last week what we can do without McArthur.

And his age of course.

One of my all time greats McArthur, a fantastic player for our club, love the man.

McArthur for me was always that player who was consistently good across all aspects of the game, on a regular basis, and could chip in the odd goal/great moment.

Kouyate I also think has been one of our best buys of modern times, love him equally and again a great asset for us IMHO.

Do consider them slightly different players: Kouyate being a tall, more defensive holding midfielder, JMac being an all singing all dancing CM who can do a bit of everything.

You can keep your Xavi/Iniestas of yesteryear! I'd have prime JM & CK anyday! JM past his prime now, Kouyate a younger man and position/role less physically demanding so probably the more useful for us a/would be most sorely missed at this moment in time.

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

Palace were excellent, I thought Kouyate’s individual performance was akin to Jedi’s in the playoffs. Obviously carrying a knock or two but throwing himself into it like it was the last match on earth. Very impressed with Gallagher, Mitchell, Guaita, in fact I don’t think there were any poor performances.

Make no mistake, Citeh have made mincemeat of teams on their travels this year and we could possibly have nicked it as well.

A measure of our success was the desperation in their attacking in the last 15/20 minutes which made them look vulnerable. If we could find a lethal finisher like a modern day Murray then we would cause a lot of problems.

Centre Forward is still a problem position for us. Bambi didn’t make the best of his opportunities and really needs longer studs and Edouard looked only marginally more mobile when he came on.

I think an earlier poster was right when he said their set up was designed to break up our playing out through the back 4. I agree they don’t really have a proper CF but they play similarly to Liverpool with a mobile front 3 that move constantly and drag you out of position. I thought we were generally solid at the back bar a few far post lapses in concentration.