Viktor Gyokeres ended his goal drought last night as Arsenal recorded a convincing victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, yet the striker remains grounded about the team’s ambitions, acknowledging that there is still a long journey ahead before true success can be achieved this season.
The result marked Arsenal’s third consecutive win in the Champions League, underlining their impressive consistency and growing confidence on the European stage. With strong performances across all competitions, the Gunners have established themselves as one of the most formidable teams currently in form.
Arsenal’s Consistency Across Competitions
In the Premier League, Arsenal continue to lead the table, demonstrating the discipline, focus, and attacking balance that have defined their season so far. Their consistency has positioned them as genuine contenders for major honours, and their supporters are beginning to believe that this could be a defining campaign for Mikel Arteta’s side.
However, within the club, there remains a clear understanding that maintaining such form requires both humility and hard work. The players recognise that early-season success does not guarantee trophies, and that the true tests lie ahead in the crucial months to come.
Gyokeres Calls for Patience and Focus
As reported by the BBC, Viktor Gyokeres reflected on both his performance and the team’s overall progress following the win against Atletico Madrid. The Swedish forward, who found the net twice, emphasised the importance of maintaining perspective and continuing to improve. He said, “Both [my] goals were great. I try to do my best all the time and work hard, contribute with different stuff and the goals would have come sooner or later.
We want to do well, we want to win football matches but there’s a long journey to go. We will take it game-by-game, even if that sounds boring.”
His comments capture the collective mindset within the Arsenal camp, one focused on steady progression rather than complacency. Despite their current success, the Gunners are determined to approach each fixture with the same intensity and professionalism.
Arsenal’s combination of strong leadership, tactical discipline, and attacking quality continues to make them a formidable force in both domestic and European competitions. Yet as Gyokeres highlighted, sustaining that momentum over the course of a demanding season will be essential if they are to turn their promising start into lasting success.
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He is playing for the wrong team at the moment as far as playing for our CF but he works hard, holds the ball up well, lays it off well. He doesn’t get the service he needs. For him to score more, that needs to change. Again, he made so intelligent runs and was ignored. Its great he got his two goals and in context it doesn’t matter how.
Just to back up what I have put, Gyokores has made more runs off the ball into the box than ANY striker so far this season and is 3rd in totsl off the ball runs. Its wrong we are not playing to him more often.
Havertz was also second only to Haaland in terms of runs into the box when he joined. Thing is,most of those runs are decoy runs,meant to drag defenders away to create space,particularly when playing against teams that park the bus.
The centre forward role in Arteta’s system has always involved plenty of hardwork and I doubt that will change. The way I see it, the most important thing is the team winning even if the CF doesn’t score as much,because the goals are spread around.
The kinds of goals Gyokeres scored yesterday are exactly the kind we need most from him. Tap ins from rebounds,flicks and cut backs. I’m sure he’ll get plenty of those.
Sorry I disagree slightly with the type of goals we need from Gyokores. We struggle to score from open play because we do not play the correct balls into the box when Gyokores makes intelligent runs and if noticed would put him in. We need to change and look for the good runs, or we will struggle to win something again.
I’d say we struggle to score from open play because teams put ten men behind the ball when playing against us. This means that even when Gyokeres makes a run,there might be no space to thread a ball.
If we attempted to play a through ball every time Gyokeres makes a run,the opponents will likely intercept the ball most of the time. This will make us vulnerable to counter attacks in the opposite direction.
Besides,not every player has the skillset to play a well weighted through ball. So far only Odegaard and Zubimendi have shown the ability to play these passes regularly.Eze can but we haven’t seen it yet. Saka can but he’s on the wing.
Those intelligent runs Gyokeres makes are mostly meant to drag defenders and so far it’s working. It has benefited Saka who is getting more 1v1s. Gyokeres just needs to develop an understanding with Saka because that cut back from the right is always coming.
Two things Gyokeres also needs to improve on- his positioning and first touch.
Onyango
I’m not sure I quite understand or agree with what you are saying.
The idea Arsenal spent 75 million on yet another ST who makes decoy runs is far-fetched in my opinion.
Gyokeres was brought in exactly for the reason you described when facing low blocks.
He is an actual striker who times runs and can finish; that is not Havertz (not a striker or the instincts) or Jesus (only a striker in dreams).
Gyokeres has a presence in the box against low block teams, and known for finishing; the one thing Havertz has not done consistently.
I think Arteta will tweak his system to get the best from Gyokeres, and we will see this tactically when Havertz returns.
For example, Havertz is more suited to our current style of possession, facilitating and decoy runs, while Gyokeres is better suited for direct play, outnumbering defenders on attack, and more 1v1 play centrally.
Agree.
I don’t disagree. I’m saying Gyokeres has not yet developed an understanding with teammates,which will come with time. They have to adapt to his movement but he also has to adapt to his teammates. I’m not sure he’s hit peak fitness either. All that will improve.
As for decoy runs, I think it’s an important part of our play. We can’t completely change our identity because one player. Liverpool have done that and look at where it got them. I believe Gyokeres can do all that off the ball stuff and still score goals- Harry Kane does more than just score goals,for example. The aim should be to make Gyok more rounded,because he has all the tools.
We are more direct than we were last season or the season before. But I don’t think we should completely abandon what the other 8 or 9 players are used to. We now have the ability to mix it up depending on the opponent or game state.
One of the reasons teams have 10 men behind the is because we play balls too slow and wide and allow teams to drop back. I have watched closely and have said on here before, Gyokores is making intelligent early runs in behind and not getting anything at all played too him. Slow deliberate balls played across the field of play and wide, allows teams to reset. We do not play to Gyokores strength. Last night alone, i saw him make 4 diagonal runs which split the defence and not one player with the play played him in. We do not get the best out of him because of our way of playing, not the opposition.
Like I said before,not every player has the skillset to spot those runs and execute the perfect ball- it requires vision and precision. Not everyone is Özil or De Bruyne unfortunately.
Yes there may be an opportunity to play Gyok through but you have to consider the guy in possession of the ball when he makes these runs. I love Rice but do you think he can play that pass??This why we need Odegaard back ASAP.
Meanwhile,in the absence of a through ball specialist, our best way creating of creating chances from open play is cut backs,particularly from Saka. Plenty of times this season I’ve seen good crosses from Saka or Madueke go to waste. Once Gyokeres and Saka get in sync,he’ll score plenty from crosses.
I think Odergaard unbalances the team, he plays right of centre and looks for Saka first. While I wasn’t impressed with Eze, more came down both sides last night than usual.
He’s still the best bet at getting the best out of Gyokeres and he’s been given more freedom this season so he’s not just glued to the right. Eze looks a bit lost on the right- he’s more comfortable on the left.
No one in this team comes close to Odegaard at playing through balls- there’s a reason he and Haaland are top for assists & goals in World Cup qualifying matches. I don’t think we’d have won against Newcastle without Odegaard.
In short, I agree that the team should do more to get the best out of Gyokeres-play to his strengths. But at the same time,Gyokeres should do more to be on the same wavelength as his teammates-play to their strengths. It takes time for this to happen.
I think more open play goals naturally come in the second half of the season. By then it becomes easier to break down these stubborn defences due to fatigue. Right now opponents are still sharp and it’s okay to win 1-0 or 2-1.
he will get the service soon… we had so many injuries already and he hasnt had the same midfield more than once or twice in a two so always different people feeding him
as the season goes on he will score a lot more and moreover he will know the league and opposition more also
lastly as the season goes on and opposition teams get injured and tired legs he will also score a lot more
so much rubbish written about the team and its only 12 games old… yet top of PL and joint top of CL with only 3 goals let in and 1 defeat
Dread to think if we had had a bad start what the ‘fans’ would be saying based on comments so far!