Viktor Gyokeres scored twice as Arsenal beat Sunderland to extend their Premier League lead to nine points over Manchester City, with Mikel Arteta praising his striker
Mikel Arteta praised Viktor Gyokeres‘ composure – both in front of goal and away from the pitch – after the Swede’s brace propelled Arsenal to another crucial triumph against Sunderland.
No Premier League player has found the net more frequently across all competitions in 2026 than Gyokeres’ six strikes after he came off the bench to made the three points safe on Saturday afternoon.
When questioned about his striker’s mindset, Arteta said following the victory: “With Viktor when you look at him, it’s very difficult to understand his emotions. Because he looks straight at you and you don’t really know. But he doesn’t seem too affected by the real highs or the lows. That’s what we need, stability – he’s very demanding of himself. He’s constantly trying to improve and that’s really, really good.”
Arteta added: “He came on in moments as well when the game probably was a little bit more open. Today he had more company as well, in and around him. It depends on the opponent, it depends on the context.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page
READ MORE: Arsenal pile pressure on Man City with title statement in Sunderland win – 5 talking pointsREAD MORE: Arsenal handed Premier League crown in February as bookies concede title race is OVER
“But for me, what really makes a difference is the consistency that he shows every single day, to practise, to train, to understand better his team-mates, his relationships, to speak up and demand the kind of movement, the kind of balls and deliveries that he wants as well. And then he needs to do what he’s done today as well, and really put it to work.”
Arteta is determined to ensure his squad don’t become overconfident, though, despite now sitting nine points ahead of Manchester City. He stated when pressed for his verdict on the title contest: “I’m going to have a beautiful dinner tonight and tomorrow I’ll start to prepare for Brentford, because it’s going to be a really tough one.
“We still have to win so many games to achieve what we want, so let’s not focus on that, that’s something else, we’ve done our job now, we’ve had what we have to do, assess that, try to improve it and get ready for Brentford. We have to keep raising our level.”
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris insisted he believes Arsenal now possess what it takes to claim the title. When asked if he thinks they can be champions, he said: “Yes, I think so.
“They’re impressive, really well organised, hard to beat with many threats off the bench, especially with wingers because they can make a big difference towards the end.”
Arsenal’s win came on the back of the 4-0 victory over Leeds last weekend and sees them in control of the title race ahead of Man City facing Liverpool on Sunday. “I’m very, very happy with the win, with big parts of the performance, with the clean sheet as well, because it’s a really tough opponent,” Arteta added.
“They’re really good at what they do, really good at breaking play, playing to the last man, breaking your press, holding the ball and very difficult to get sequences with threat and momentum consecutively. But we knew that, I think the first goal really helped to unlock that kind of phase. And then again, the finishers, they came on the pitch and immediately they had a huge impact.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
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.
