Viktor Gyokeres will be eager to rectify his mistakes against Manchester United when Arsenal welcome the Red Devils to the Emirates.
Matchday 23 of the Premier League season hosts a blockbuster, as Arsenal and Man United clash for three points.
It’ll be the first time the two clubs have met since the opening day of the 2025/26 season, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the Gunners.
Gyokeres had a tough time at Old Trafford before being hooked on the hour mark, but armed with a rare source of confidence, he’ll be desperate to make amends on Sunday.
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Viktor Gyokeres’ pace could hurt Man United
Gyokeres has been so poor in the Premier League since making the move to Arsenal, but he’s had a very good week.
The Swede scored and assisted against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, then, in the Champions League, he scored a fantastic goal against Inter Milan at San Siro.
While Gyokeres’ finish against Inter was of top quality, scoring a curling effort from 25-yards, what he did before that is what United should really be wary of on Sunday.
The sequence of play started in Arsenal’s box, with the time on the clock reading 83:37.
By 83:48, Gyokeres took his shot just outside of Inter’s box, running from box to box in 11 seconds.
It was an explosive show of speed from the 27-year-old, who will have United’s centre-backs worrying, particularly Harry Maguire, who isn’t blessed with pace.
Armed with confidence after being able to showcase his biggest strengths, there’s hope that Gyokeres will turn things around in the Premier League when Arsenal’s rivals pay a visit.
Gyokeres’ pace is massively overlooked
In some ways, seeing what the striker did at San Siro is frustrating, as it was only days prior that Gyokeres couldn’t outpace Murillo against Nottingham Forest.
Because of how poorly he’s playing in the Premier League, there’s a misconception flying around that Gyokeres is slow, robust and stocky, when really, he’s one of the fastest players in the league.
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Last season, Gradient Sports provided data to reveal that Gyokeres’ top speed at Sporting CP would’ve ranked him as the second-fastest in the Premier League, with only Erling Haaland being faster.
The speed that the Arsenal striker hit was 35.26 km/h, comparable to an elite sprinter.
It’s a strength that the Gunners desperately need to see more of, and what better way to begin than against Man United?
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