Aand it was no coincidence that Ronaldo’s goal came only after he had moved well away from Zouma.
Zouma said: “It was good, it was another battle like any battle. He is one of the best players in the world, maybe the best, and he deserves your focus all the time.”
The Standard reveales that on Sunday, Zouma made more than twice as many clearances than any other player on the pitch as well as two crucial interventions to stop Ronaldo adding to his tally.
“I think his all-around performance, his strength, he did a great job for us and we’re trying to challenge the teams getting talked about winning the Premier League. I think Kurt will help us do that.”
Zouma has settled well on and off the pitch, striking up a close bond with the French-speaking group, including international team-mate and fellow summer signing, Alphonse Areola.
“The fans were so loud. I want to make them happy, not by the result [against United] but by the way we play.”