Viktor Gyokeres: Arsenal striker has gone six games without a goal – so how is he helping Mikel Arteta’s team? | Football News
Viktor Gyokeres arrived at Arsenal as a goal machine, with 97 goals in 102 games at his former club Sporting. He was labeled a natural goalscorer, the final piece of the puzzle that Arsenal were missing.
So no goals in a month – scoring six consecutive blanks – is a concern for the striker who was recently awarded the European Golden Shoe at the Ballon D’Or.
“He would be frustrated if he went three or four games without scoring,” said former Coventry assistant coach Adi Viveash. has Aerial sports last season on working with the striker in the Championship.
“He didn’t want to play that long. He would get a little nervous if he went a few games without playing.”
A record of three goals in ten games for Arsenal isn’t horrible, especially with the team winning eight of those matches.
Yet there has been a sense of disappointment around Gyokeres so far, especially as he averaged 35 goals during his two league seasons in Portugal.
For example, the striker failed to perform well in recent big matches with Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs. It would be interesting to see how many matches the Swede would have started if Kai Havertz had been fit and available.
Viktor Gyokeres had a tough time early in his Arsenal career
However, the mood at Arsenal is ‘no need to panic’ and Gyokeres is doing very well.
“A lot of it is because of him that we win these games,” Bukayo Saka said this month. “The work he is doing is incredible for the team,” added Mikel Arteta. Gabriel Martinelli has always backed him to score up to 40 goals this season.
So what does Gyokeres do that isn’t reflected in the goal numbers?
Arteta gave a clue after Arsenal’s latest win against West Ham: “The way he stretches the back four and the spaces he opens up.”
The figures confirm it. Only Ollie Watkins has made more runs against the backline than Gyokeres this Premier League season.
This is a very different striker profile to Arsenal’s previously, with Gyokeres challenging the opposition four at almost twice the rate of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus last season.
And those runs help create holes in the back four. An example came at Newcastle, when Gyokeres’ run down the right channel dragged Malick Thiaw out of position, creating a wide gap which Arsenal exploited – when Leandro Trossard hit the post.
This wide gap is one of the examples of ‘spaces’ Arteta wants Gyokeres to create, improving Arsenal’s creativity levels. Arteta tells you a lot about the desire to find “open spaces” in his press conferences. This is a key part of his tactics every week.
Gyokeres made a run to the right, which created a huge gap in Newcastle’s defense – the Magpies’ two centre-backs are highlighted in yellow.
Arsenal then exploited this space, with Leandro Trossard hitting the post.
And these ongoing actions are considered the strong point of Gyokeres. Jon Dahl Tomasson, former Sweden manager told Sky Sports this season that his channels are of an “extremely high standard” – and that he is one of the “best in the world” at it.
There were even instances where Gyokeres managed to create opportunities for others, even though he wasn’t involved in the play.
The Swedish striker is being heavily marked in England – at a higher rate than any player in the Premier League this season. Giving a striker with a record of 40 goals per campaign virtually no space to operate is probably a good idea.
But what Gyokeres also does is draw more than one central defender into the box, which creates a free man. At Newcastle, Eberechi Eze slotted a free shot on goal into the space left by Gyokeres occupied by Thiaw and Sven Botman.
Gyokeres pinned both Newcastle centre-backs, allowing Leandro Trossard to cross for Eberechi Eze in space
Eze was another beneficiary of Gyokeres’ pinning of several defenders against West Ham. The Swede was closely marked by Max Kilman and Dinos Mavropanos all game and late in the first half Eze found space in the box to shoot through this, leading to Declan Rice’s opener.
Gyokeres pinning Max Kilman and Dinos Mavropanos created gaps in West Ham’s backline, with Jurrien Timber (highlighted) in space
…later in the match, Gyokeres again pinned both defenders, which created space for Eze to pass through and set up Declan Rice’s opener.
“We are very grateful for what he is doing,” Saka said after that West Ham match. “How he holds the ball, how he makes the runs, the threat he poses to us.”
And that’s not all. Gyokeres also stretches and creates problems for the opposition four times with the ball – in his pressing.
Gyokeres is operating at a slightly higher level in this regard compared to what Arsenal previously had from their centre-forward. While Havertz was known as a fervent presser, the Swede is slightly better at creating possession turnovers from them.
Yet while Gyokeres’ underrated, off-the-ball work can be praised, Arsenal also signed him to score. “His goals will come,” added Saka.
“We know it, we believe it and we believe in him. I don’t think there’s any doubt. He’s always up, he’s always happy and he always gives his best in every game.”
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Arsenal have been in a similar situation before with central attacking players. For example, it took Arteta’s team a long time to figure out how to play with Havertz – whose first goal for the club from open play came in late November in his first season.
Gyokeres has also experienced similar scenarios during his career. He never got going at Brighton, got off to a slow start at Coventry, while the striker also faced questions over his weight and speed during his sporting debut.
Arsenal need to get used to Gyokeres in the same way the striker needs to get used to the Premier League. It takes time for the striker to click, but the Gunners will be hoping that a more favorable run of matches ahead is when he does.
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