With uncertainty over the fitness of Kai Havertz, who was injured in Germany’s first match of this international window, Arsenal have been reminded of how good Viktor Gyokeres can be.
The striker has been a bench warmer since the start of this season, with Havertz preferred to him, but that does not mean he is not an important player for Arsenal. The Gunners consider Gyokeres one of their key stars and will still value his contribution to the squad.
Gyokeres went into the international break struggling for game time, but he knew it was an opportunity to prove that he can still score goals. So far, the striker has done exactly that and has given Arsenal another reason to be pleased with his form.
Gyokeres Scores Again for Sweden
Gyokeres scored against Poland last night, according to Caught Offside, meaning he has now scored in back-to-back games for Sweden.
The Arsenal striker had also found the back of the net in Sweden’s match against Romania, giving him goals in consecutive international matches during this window.
His goalscoring form will be encouraging for Arsenal, particularly with Havertz currently facing uncertainty over his fitness. Gyokeres has not had many opportunities to start for the Gunners this season, but his performances for Sweden have shown that he remains capable of making an impact when given the chance.
Arsenal Hope for Injury-Free Return
With Alexander Isak injured and back at Liverpool, Gyokeres will continue to start Sweden’s remaining matches during the international window. That could give him another opportunity to add to his goals and maintain his current form.
Arsenal would be delighted to see their striker performing well for his country, particularly after his limited opportunities at club level this season. His goals could also give him confidence ahead of his return to Arsenal.
However, the Gunners will also be hoping that Gyokeres does not suffer a serious injury during international duty. Arsenal already have enough injury concerns, and another problem would leave them with an additional issue to deal with when their players return.
For now, Gyokeres has used the international break to remind Arsenal of his goalscoring ability and provide a positive response after spending much of the season on the bench.
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We just do not play to his strength, which is our main weakness. We actually take him out of the game by the way we play. We could get so much more from him.
Maybe. The EPL is a different beast to international games (or CL games) of course. He seems to thrive best in open games where he is the focal point of the attack… Most of our games are tighter and against robust defenses, best suited to technicality and quick, one touch reactions in the box.
If we played to his strengths, we would have to play a more open game, which introduces other issues.
Just playing to Gyokores would be a start? I have watched him make runs, make gestures and find space and he is ignored. We do not play to his strenths but we do not play to him, when we should.
See my reply to Derek below. I argued for the same last season… But I’m not convinced now. He’s obviously a dangerous center forward under the right circumstances. But if other teams already know that’s how we’ll play, and they know his weaknesses, it would not be hard to neutralize him. Even Erling Haaland can be effectively neutralized by some defenses, and let’s be honest, Gyok isn’t exactly as quick or lethal. He will score goals, but I see him as likely to be more effective in the Champions League where games are more open.
Yes, Gyokeres the individual could likely have better stats with a different focus from the team but could the team results be better at the same time? That would seem to be the million pound question. The changes would need to be massive imo but could be something to consider at a time other than during the season. His performances with Sweden are even less relevant than his performances with Sporting in considering likely effectiveness in the PL. Chalk and cheese.
Just codswallop.; a team has a way to play and Arsenal has a way to play which I have watched for 50years. Its the player that has to refine and improve. His technical ability must get better ; his back to goal play is very poor for a strong man. His ability to jump and head from the occasionall long ball is pitiful . He has some qualities but he needs to improve . Im convinced he was going out if Alvarez was coming in…as part of the deal.
So far this season , he is behaving like the little boy who lost his bag of sweets !!
Who is talking codswallop? You? We played under numerous different managers in the last 50 years, playing TOTALLY different under each manager. Why buy a number 9, when you do not use him? Buy someone different? We bought him for his strengths and we do not use them. Stop talking codswallop😂
I hear people say that the player has to adapt to the manager’s system, while I agree with that to a point.
I believe it should work the other way to, the manager should play to said player’s strength.
This debate has been raging since we bought him, and I myself argued last season that we should try to do this more. But I now don’t really buy the idea that if we rebuilt the team and tactics around him, or even just pumped more balls into him from the wings, that we’d necessarily get shedloads more goals from that. Premier League defenses are prepared for that power forward style of play. We might succeed for a while – Igor Thiago last season could be an argument in favour, but he’s not delivering at the moment either. I do think Arteta probably should have given him a short run out against Coventry if he was fit enough, if just to build match fitness. Who knows.
👍Bergkampfwagen
But that isn’t what is required. He doesn’t need balls pumped into him, thats not his strength. Early balls, balls when he makes a run and balls ahead of him, are his strengths. We do not even try. Its like playing with 10 men when he is on the pitch because he is redundant. Why buy him?
He runs? lol
Nobody is making comparisons between Haarland and Gyokores, that is wrong. The comparison is between the way one manager uses one and the other used one. Not the players themselves? And Gyokores has had space and made runs and called for a through ball and not got them?
I really don’t want to keep picking on the guy, but since you mention the player’s characteristics, he also makes those runs and loses the ball more than any of our other forwards. His ball retention is a known issue.
He loses the ball too often when it is pumped up to him, definitely, thats not his game. But he doesn’t get balls fed to him to lose properly. We bypass him.
Why bring the player in or keep him if you have no intention of playing to his strengths?
I don’t think it is a coincidence that we won the league and our striker scored 20 goals, good enough to win the title, but not good enough now to compete with Havertz?
Arteta is a system guy, nothing wrong with that style of management. Others take the strengths of individual players, and the team benefits from their strengths, and their weakness is covered by the squad.
Gyokeres finds space and finishes, among the best at this. So why try and turn him into a facilitator or creator to assist the wingers? Let Havertz play that role, and let Gyokeres be the cut-throat that just buries chances?
I just don’t understand why Arteta is so opposed to strikers as scorers primarily, you would think the “Plan B” option gives you more selection, as opposed to another Havertz type striker in Alvarez, that we seem married to.
We lack options to change the game in certain areas. Fullback for example, all defenders and all CB’s, not a single attacking one among them. Calafiori is the closest, but he inverts more than attacks.
I fear this makes us predictible, and we lack the versatility to completely change tactics.
Well said @Durand
Haaland was never a typical Guardiola player by any standard. But City adapted to Haaland’s strengths, and they continue reaping massively from his services.
MA can’t be that rigid about whatever system he has if he would go on to acquire players requiring a little tweaking to get consistent results.
Exactly Haarland was 100% not a Pep striker. But he made sure he used him to get the best.
Agree that Arteta should look at how he can use Gyokeres more effectively, and I’m sure it’s been a debate among the coaches already. But I also think it would be unrealistic to expect too much from him in the Premier League. His ball retention is not great in tight spaces and Prem defenses know that, so if our approach was to simply balls into him they’d just target him for destabilisation more.
It’s helpful to break down Gyokeres’s effectiveness in different types of games to see where he has worked best.
– He played in 36 Premier League games last season, and scored 14 goals.
– He played in 13 Champions League games and scored 5 – *a much higher rate of return*.
– 1 each in the Carabao Cup (v Chelsea, we won 3-2) and FA cup (Saints, we lost 2-1).
Even without getting into the ins and outs of each goal in every competition, we can see already that he was far more effective in the open games. The Champions League, and also both the first leg tie in the Carabao against Chelsea and the match against Saints were very open games. Those are where he is best utilized as the starter.
I’m afraid you are aligning with certain viewpoints that are reductive and lack substance. Some people are making a lot of noise and coming up with really poor evaluations and suggestions.
Gyokeres clearly has certain skills and attributes that can make him a very effective striker under certain circumstances. However, his limitations also mean that he can be nullified by many of the top and even medium level teams in the PL.
Gyokeres needs space. He isn’t going to get that in many games in the PL especially with Arsenal’s He’s quite quick but he needs space to get to top speed. He’s strong but he isn’t going to outmuscle too many of the PL’s defenders. His touch isn’t necessarily the best and he isn’t a great dribbler. He strikes the ball excellently but he needs to get into position and isn’t likely to get many free shots in the PL. He’s Ok but not great in the air.
Arsenal can’t simply change their approach just to play to the strengths of one player unless such a player is a truly generational talent.
We now have a situation where people are making comparisons between Gyokeres and Haaland. Do you really believe that this is a reasonable basis for analysis and criticism?
You’re debating me or not? You’re agreeing with my opinion…
Not true. Nobody is debating Gyokores v Haarland, they are debating the way they are used. And I have seen Gyokores run into space, I have seen him call, I have seen him make runs and we haven’t used him? We do not play to his strengths.
David,
You make a good case. 👍
Packing case or suitcase?🤣