Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres has endured a rollercoaster start to life at the Gunners but amid growing scrutiny on the forward, Mikel Arteta has reiterated he is a big fan of the Swede
The jury may be out for some still when it comes to Arsenal new boy Viktor Gyokeres, but Mikel Arteta has already made it clear that he is a huge fan of the talented Sweden striker.
Gyokeres has a steady if unspectacular record of six goals from 14 games and ended a five-match goalless streak in the Premier League with a header against Burnley just before the international break. His euphoria was short-lived, though, with a crushing injury blow ruling him out of the following game and Sweden duty this week.
Scrutiny has grown on the forward following his blockbuster summer move from Sporting CP; Gyokeres went on strike to force the move and has been so far been unable to replicate the stunning goal-per-game record he racked up in Portugal in the Premier League.
But, crucially, Arteta wasn’t simply focused on Gyokeres finding the net upon his arrival. The reaction during testing times was more important for him.
“This is football, and we can’t expect a player to change contexts [from Sporting CP to Arsenal, or Portugal to England] and have him do the same thing instantly,” Arteta told Marca. “Things are very different. All players in the world need one thing: their state of mind to be at its best.
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“And if that’s not provided by their performance or a specific aspect of the game they expect from you, we have to provide it for them to maintain their optimal state of mind.
“I told Viktor in our first meeting that the No. 9 I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they went six or eight games without scoring. If not, you’re not good enough at this level. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.”
Gyokeres will be hoping to recover quickly to aid Arsenal’s title charge and will have to remember Arteta’s words with plenty of outside noise around him. The 27-year-old has even been urged to try and lose some weight by Stefan Schwarz, who has his fitness questioned his compatriot’s fitness.
“Everyone is important, but of course, he has a big presence,” Schwarz told Hajper. “He’s a strong, physical guy, and a good finisher with both feet.
“Hopefully, he’ll start to create and score goals, have a good run, get that real boost, and get a bit lighter because he’s a heavy player,” he added. “I think that would help.
“He didn’t have a proper pre-season, and you need to play the games. You have those six weeks to interact with your colleagues, to understand the movement. When the midfielder makes the pass, you just have to look in their eyes, you know where they’ll pass it.
“That’s a relationship that takes a bit of time, and football is about fine margins. Look at Dennis Bergkamp, he was the best at that. He will learn and score a lot of goals, and that will benefit Arsenal.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
