19 hours ago
3
Mikel Arteta should take Viktor Gyokeres out of the limelight and give Gabriel Jesus or Kai Havertz, once he's fit, a run in the starting lineup
Mikel Arteta can no longer ignore the fact that Viktor Gyokeres needs to be dropped. The 27-year-old striker, whom Arsenal signed from Sporting in the summer for £64million, failed to impress – again – in the goalless draw to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night.
Gyokeres hardly had a sniff, having just eight touches before getting hooked on the hour mark. The Sweden international only completed six passes, and at no point during the clash did he test Alisson.
Even when the ball was fired down the corridor of uncertainty or pulled back from the byline, Gyokeres was nowhere to be seen. The Swede, in fairness, pinned Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate on numerous occasions, creating space for his teammates by occupying the centre-backs.
But, he offered the Gunners little value in doing so. When Gabriel Jesus, who's only somewhat recently returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, came on, the gulf in quality was frightening.
The 28-year-old striker was far more involved, slaloming around defenders and knitting passages of play. While the dynamics of the game had changed, with Liverpool enjoying the lion's share of possession in the second half, Jesus demonstrated just how ineffective Gyokeres was.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Arteta was quizzed on the Swede's performance. Rather than hold Gyokeres accountable for another disappointing display, the Arsenal boss pointed the finger at the rest of the squad.
"He was in great position, sometimes the ball didn't arrive and as I said, there were situations," said Arteta. "Normally we go into the six (yard box) that was almost with the ball at the feet. And normally that's a goal or you pick somebody and you score a goal.
"We didn't do that and that's the thing that today we have to improve. Apart from the things that we did in the second half that wasn't probably at the standards that we are used to."
Gyokeres has struggled to have any sort of genuine impact, just like against Liverpool, for much of the season. While the majority of the Swede's involvement has been inside the opposition box, he often tends to receive the ball between the D and the centre circle.
Gyokeres has proven he's more than capable of leading the press, pinning centre-backs, and stretching the backline. He's just not comfortable as Jesus, Kai Havertz or Mikel Merino as linking the play.
If Arsenal played against a high line every weekend, the Swede would have a field day. But, naturally, as a team who want to dominate possession, Arteta's side almost always find themselves having to breakdown a low-block.
When the opposition are defending the width of their 18-yard box, Gyokeres struggles to do anything other than occupy the centre-backs. Meanwhile, the likes of Jesus, Havertz or Merino, drag the backline out of position by going short and stitching together passages of play.
Despite the glaring holes in Gyokeres' game, Rice believes Arsenal will not be able to end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title without him. The England international has claimed that defenders swarm the Swede because he's 'one of the best strikers in the world'.
Rice said: "It’s tough for him, because he’s got two defenders on him all game, all over him. So he has to use his strength, he has to do all he can to help the team and with my first goal, without him making that run from Gabriel Martinelli’s flick and holding it, setting it off to Martin [Odegaard], that goal wouldn’t happen.
"That was a pivotal moment in the game for us to turn the game on its head. I see how hard he hits a ball, and when that space arrives for him, and the ball’s arriving at his feet to score goals, he will 100 per cent score."
Rice added: "But at the minute, defenders in the Premier League want to be able to stop Viktor Gyokeres, because he’s one of the best strikers in the world.
"Trust me, he’s doing unbelievably for us, and we wouldn’t be where we are without him."
English (US) ·