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Viktor Gyokeres has failed to impress since joining Arsenal in the summer, but the striker showed a glimpse of what he can do at the weekend
Leandro Trossard proved why he holds the key to unlocking Viktor Gyokeres during Arsenal's 2-1 win over Wolves. The 31-year-old winger helped Mikel Arteta's side clamber to victory at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday night, breathing new life into the Gunners.
Shortly after Trossard replaced Gabriel Martinelli in the second half, Arsenal broke the deadlock. While the Belgium international wasn't directly involved in the opener, or even the winner in stoppage time, he played a crucial role in deconstructing Rob Edwards' low-block.
Trossard grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, orchestrating waves of attacks from the left-hand side. He carved open the Wolves defence on numerous occasions, sliding in Myles Lewis-Skelly, finding Declan Rice on the edge of the box, and even picking out Gyokeres.
The Belgian relished the playmaker role, knitting together neat passages of play. The introduction of Trossard turned the tide at the weekend, and suddenly the £64million striker became a threat for a brief moment.
Before the former Brighton ace came on, Gyokeres had a miserable time leading the frontline. Trossard was the only player to create a good chance for the 27-year-old, clipping a simple pass behind the backline.
Gyokeres brought the ball under control, rolled the defender, and aimed for the far post. Sam Johnstone was beaten, but the Swede's effort flew marginally wide of the target.
If Arteta wants to get the best out of Gyokeres, then he should give Trossard a greater role in the starting lineup. Speaking to TNT Sports following the win over Wolves, the Arsenal boss touched on the problems his marquee signing faces.
"It's a collaboration between the two," said Arteta. "He was in a lot of really good positions and the ball didn't get into the area quick enough, sharp enough or just with the precision that is required for a number nine to score the goal.
"But his work rate and intentions were there and we need to keep insisting."
Before the game, Arteta was keen to defend Gyokeres. The Gunners boss said: "There was a lot of excitement because we were bringing a proven scorer that had probably the best stats in Europe.
"He is a player that comes to a different league, the most demanding league in the world, and what happens if he doesn't score for five or six games?
"That was my only question to him: 'How are you going to react if you don't score in five or six games? Can you cope with that? And then what's going to happen in the next 100 games?'
"And that's what you have to see. The sample is very small. So, leave him alone, let him do what he does best, be behind him and I'm sure things will turn out in the right way."
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