Mikel Arteta trusted Viktor Gyokeres to lead the line for Arsenal against Liverpool despite his goal drought.
Arteta has options in the number nine role, but is seeing the benefits that Gyokeres is adding to the Arsenal squad.
The Swede started against Liverpool, and unsurprisingly, a familiar problem occurred; his teammates’ deliveries were not meeting him.
In the first half, Gary Neville couldn’t hide his dissatisfaction when Arsenal were building in the final third, and Gyokeres was nowhere to be seen.
Fill in the blank: Arsenal are a ___________________ team when Viktor Gyokeres starts…
Is the Swede making Mikel Arteta's team better or worse?
Gary Neville was not impressed with Viktor Gyokeres against Liverpool
Neville predicted that Gyokeres would score 20 goals in his first Premier League season, which, to achieve, he’d have to net 15 times by May.
Things haven’t completely clicked for the 27-year-old yet at Arsenal, and Neville noticed one reason why that might be.
Commentating on Sky Sports’ live coverage of the match, Neville reacted to a passage of play that saw Declan Rice fire a perfect cross into the box that Gyokeres was not even close to getting on the end of.
Many fans praised Rice in that moment, but Neville’s eye was on the Arsenal striker.
“Straight away, you’re looking at your centre forward, where is Gyokeres?” Neville asked.
He added, “Just looking at Gyokeres, just stood next to Konate, he should be doing better.”
It was a delivery into the box that certainly deserved more, with the closest to the cross being Piero Hincapie.
Arsenal fans noticed Gyokeres’ struggles
Neville wasn’t alone when sharing his frustration with Gyokeres’ positioning in the box when Arsenal flooded forward.
On X, fans shared similar reviews of the summer signing.
One said, “Every time a good ball goes in Gyokeres is never there.”
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Another X user replied with some sympathy for the striker, “I agree but in contrast when he’s making a run in behind we never play him in.”
The overriding reaction to Gyokeres’ first half against Liverpool was that he wasn’t where he was supposed to be.
“That’s what we missed last season. Slapped 70 mil and we are no further forward,” a frustrated Arsenal fan posted.
“Not enough gambling, too reactionary to what’s happening, needs to be more proactive,” another added.
Gyokeres will adapt with time, but right now, there’s a lot to work on before he can be imagined as a reliable goalscorer for the Gunners.
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