When Mikel Arteta mentioned the difficulties of Viktor Gyokeres earlier within the week, he referenced a warning he gave him previous to signing that life at Arsenal wouldn’t be like a visit to Disneyland. On the premise of how lengthy the Swede has spent queuing, we would counsel his supervisor was incorrect.
That look ahead to a fourth objective is changing into interminable for a person who value £64million and whose frustrations are actually palpable.
As of Saturday’s gritty 1-0 win at Fulham, the depend now stands at seven matches since Gyokeres scored the second in a 3-0 rout of Nottingham Forest on September 13. Together with video games for his nationwide facet, the run extends to 9.
Underneath the microscope of a giant switch charge, the rut is conspicuous and the dialog is gaining quantity.
It needs to be said there have been optimistic features to his contribution and people have been shouted to the rafters by Arteta in reassurances designed to fortify confidence.
However it is usually true that Gyokeres’ ongoing battle is the one blip in what has in any other case been an immensely promising begin to Arsenal’s season.
Viktor Gyokeres went one other sport and not using a objective throughout Arsenal’s 1-0 away win over Fulham
Mikel Arteta informed the £64million striker that becoming a member of Arsenal wouldn’t be like a visit to Disneyland
The Swede huffed and puffed earlier than finally being changed by Christian Norgaard (left)
What’s he doing properly?
Selecting a form place to start out, the first optimistic has been Gyokeres’ work fee – the hunch will not be right down to a scarcity of effort. He’s chasing causes that appear misplaced and pressuring the final line of defences, as he did at Fulham.
These are attributes that aren’t attractive for a striker and more durable to quantify for soundbite evaluation, however he was a key a part of Arteta’s ahead press and labored arduous to smother each Joachim Andersen and Timothy Castagne throughout a very difficult stretch within the first half.
These contributions are value one thing to a system that depends as a lot on sweat as technical high quality.
Arteta maybe over-egged the purpose after the match, saying: ‘We had been all begging for him to attain. The work fee he places in for the crew is phenomenal, so we attempt to give him assist and love and it’ll come.’
The rising difficulty…
We will condense that to his ending, however it will be an over-simplification. For now, it’s not clicking, although we noticed sufficient from his rise in Portugal to know he can bury possibilities when the temper is correct. For now, his confidence seems to be extraordinarily low and that’s manifesting itself in different technical areas.
A type of considerations his willingness or means to obtain the ball in the precise areas. There have been occasions in opposition to Fulham, significantly within the first half, when it appeared Gyokeres was hiding by drifting to cluttered positions fairly than in search of area. I used to be on the West Ham match previous to the worldwide break and it was an identical sense.
It’s doable that we’re complicated poor positioning with inhibition, nevertheless it may additionally be a mix of the 2. Gyokeres’ remorse will probably be that when he has discovered himself in the precise place on the proper time, the ending hasn’t been sharp.
One likelihood on Saturday got here within the first half after Bukayo Saka slipped a intelligent ball behind Jorge Cuenca and offered Gyokeres’ with an opportunity from a slight angle to the precise of Bernd Leno.
He was a objective machine at Sporting Lisbon – nevertheless it is not fairly clicking for Gyokeres at Arsenal
His remorse will probably be that when he has discovered himself in the precise place on the proper time, the ending hasn’t been sharp – he missed one other scoreable alternative at Craven Cottage
Placing on the flip was considered one of his clear strengths in Portugal however on this occasion Gyokeres was all energy and no placement – he drilled it straight on the keeper. His subsequent alternative within the second interval was more durable and it was skied over the bar. He’s snatching at photographs when composure would possibly assist.
That has fed into a few of his wider play. He made a superb early run to take a go from Declan Rice at Craven Cottage and summed up his night by falling on his bottom in the middle of dashing a cross.
Relationships…
That is very a lot a piece in progress. Ostensibly, Gyokeres has every part a striker would need through the artistic forces he can utilise throughout the Arsenal provide line.
Martin Odegaard (when match) is a present for a striker, as are Martin Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. Between them, they’ve each angle coated.
However the problem has evidently come from Gyokeres’ means to forge an understanding of their intentions – too typically the incorrect run is being made, which too could be traced to positioning, with Gyokeres frequently failing to get the bounce on his markers. The latter appear to be studying the conditions faster than he’s.
There was an episode earlier within the season the place it felt like that understanding was accelerating. Within the Forest win, significantly within the second half, there have been indicators that Gyokeres was doing a greater job of anticipating Madueke and Eze’s runs, which made it all of the extra irritating when Arteta subbed Gyokeres off on 68 minutes, simply because the three of them had been gelling.
Little question Arteta had his causes, nevertheless it felt like an essential alternative missed to strengthen these hyperlinks.
Clearly, Gyokeres will improve that side with time. It was additionally notable on Saturday that he did a greater job of mixing with Rice.
There are enhancements being made – he linked up a lot better with Declan Rice on Saturday
He can have been considerably envious of Leandro Trossard, whose objective was handed on a plate
The luck issue…
Following the previous cliché of a striker needing one to go in off their bottom, Gyokeres might need solid an envious have a look at Leandro Trossard at Fulham. They don’t come a lot grubbier than a bounce off the thigh from two yards at a set-piece and for Trossard it was good for his first objective of the season. Gyokeres would possibly want a type of, however he additionally has to gamble on being in the precise place for these moments.
Such is his high quality, likelihood is that it’ll come sooner fairly than later, thereby proving that he can certainly adapt to the upper degree of the Premier League. If he does, an Arsenal crew already adequate for high of the desk can have an enormous weapon to name on for the meaty chunk of the season.
Within the meantime, he and Arsenal have to attend in line, having paid a fortune for the privilege. A visit to Disneyland? Similar to it.
