Gyokeres ended his goal drought with brace and Mikel Arteta praised striker’s impact on Arsenal’s improved performance.
Viktor Gyokeres finally ended his goal drought with a stunning brace in Arsenal’s 4-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid, sparking visible relief and joy from the £64m signing.
The 27-year-old striker had been struggling to find the back of the net, failing to score in his previous seven games, but his team-mates and manager Mikel Arteta had continued to praise his overall impact on the team.
Arteta believes Gyokeres’ goals were a reward for his persistence and hard work, and that the striker’s overall contribution to the team has been phenomenal.
“He deserved it because everything that we were seeing in terms of what he was bringing to the team and how much he was helping the team in many areas, apart from scoring goals in the last few weeks, there was no debate about that,” Arteta said.
Gyokeres has had to play more than expected due to Kai Havertz’s knee injury, featuring for 90 minutes seven times in Arsenal’s opening 12 matches. But his manager believes the striker’s physical presence and work rate have made Arsenal a much more unpredictable team.
“He’s so physical, opens the spaces for everyone. The way he presses the ball, holds the ball, it’s just phenomenal,” Arteta said. “And then the icing on the cake and the biggest thing that we’re going to debate about him is goals.”
Gyokeres’ team-mates showed their appreciation for his efforts by pushing him forward to take the adulation of the crowd and perform his trademark celebration. Arteta believes this gesture demonstrates the appreciation other players have for how Gyokeres has improved Arsenal.
Arsenal’s win over Atletico continues their excellent start to the season, with the Gunners winning three matches in the league phase of the Champions League without conceding a goal.
They top the Premier League by three points and have conceded only three goals in 12 matches, the fewest at this stage of the season in the club’s 138-year history.
Gyokeres’ tally now stands at five goals in 12 matches, and Arteta hopes the striker can build on this momentum and start a prolific spell. “He’s scored two very different ones today, and hopefully he starts to get some momentum and a good run of goals,” Arteta said.
Arsenal’s next match is against Crystal Palace on Sunday, and they will look to maintain their winning streak and continue their impressive start to the season.
