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Viktor Gyokeres has endured a mixed start to life at Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta made his demands clear to the Sweden international when he joined
Opinion remains divided on Arsenal's new signing Viktor Gyokeres, but Mikel Arteta has already told the talented Swedish forward exactly what he wants.
Gyokeres has recorded a respectable, if unremarkable, tally of six goals in 14 appearances and broke a five-match drought in the Premier League with a headed goal against Burnley just before the international break. However, his joy was fleeting, as a devastating injury setback ruled him out of the subsequent fixture and Sweden's international commitments.
The striker has faced increasing scrutiny following his high-profile summer transfer from Sporting CP; Gyokeres forced the move by going on strike and has thus far been unable to match the remarkable goal-per-game ratio he achieved in Portugal whilst playing in the Premier League.
However, significantly, Arteta wasn't solely concerned with Gyokeres scoring goals upon his arrival. The player's response during challenging periods was more crucial 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.
"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 for a swift recovery to support Arsenal's title push and will need to keep Arteta's words in mind amid considerable external scrutiny. The 27-year-old has even been encouraged to shed some weight by Stefan Schwarz, who has raised concerns about his compatriot's physical condition.
"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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