Arsenal news: Viktor Gyokeres called out as Mikel Arteta addresses ‘really poor habits’
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal narrowly avoided major disaster by securing a nervy 2-1 victory over Wolves at the weekend
Arsenal players and fans can breathe a sigh of relief after the Gunners narrowly secured a 2-1 victory over Wolves on Saturday. The north Londoners, after Premier League draws against Chelsea and Aston Villa, were hugely disappointing when they faced the bottom of the league at home.
After constant pressure, Mikel Arteta’s men finally took the lead in the 70th minute when goalkeeper Sam Johnstone wasted a Bukayo Saka corner. Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare’s 90th-minute header stunned the Emirates faithful as it appeared to have dealt a major blow to their title qualification, only for Wolves to concede another own goal right at the death.
There will now be a rare period of respite for Arsenal after securing all three points, with their next match taking place on Saturday at Everton. After that, the grueling schedule of matches promises to be dense and fast-paced for the league leaders, as Mirror football takes a look at two of the latest stories surrounding the club.
Keown highlights Gyokeres problem
Martin Keown has given his views on Arteta’s striker’s plight by claiming Viktor Gyokeres still lacks fitness. Gyokeres returned to the starting line-up against Wolves after several substitute appearances in the Premier League following an injury he picked up against Burnley last month.
The 27-year-old striker, who was signed in the summer for £64million, played 81 minutes but struggled to make an impact and once again failed to get on the scoresheet. Substitute Gabriel Jesus’ run led to Yerson Mosquera heading the ball into his own net, with club legend Keown believing Gyokeres’ position could be threatened by the Brazilian.
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Keown said on TNT Sports: “I think it’s Jesus’ movement that ultimately helps (to create the goal). The defender is unlucky and Jesus doesn’t touch, but it’s his running and movement that helps and that’s definitely food for thought for the manager.
“He looked good when he came on and Gyokeres is still not at the fitness level you would expect. There is a real fight over who that number 9 will be and Jesus has got himself back into it.”
Bad habits resurface
Arteta was visibly frustrated with his players during his post-match interview, particularly the way they sat back and pressured after taking the early lead. The mistake was punished by Wolves and would have had serious repercussions on their title chances this season had they not simply grabbed the winner in stoppage time.
The Spaniard said: “We scored the goal but then we had periods of three minutes deep. So passive and really bad defensive habits.
“It’s not acceptable for our level because we haven’t conceded a single shot until that moment. The first time they do it, they score a goal.
“And it’s the Premier League, I’m going to be very aware of it and improve it. Because at the end of the day you rely on individual action and very chaotic action to score the goal and win the game. The margins should have been bigger.”
After a remarkable run of defensive performances, the Gunners have now conceded late goals in their last two league matches, with defensive injuries to Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba playing a key role in this.