Viktor Gyokeres was subdued when celebrating his first goal in Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
Before the contest, no one would’ve wanted to score more than the Swede, who had been on a scoring lull by his standards.
Mikel Arteta was desperate for Gyokeres to score against Fulham, which the striker didn’t manage to do, but three days later, his outlook changed significantly.
Arsenal’s summer signing scored twice in the Gunners’ win over Atletico Madrid, but opted not to celebrate his first goal for a reason that many players will relate to.
Why Viktor Gyokeres didn’t celebrate his first goal against Atletico Madrid
Having scored 97 goals for Sporting CP over the previous two seasons, Gyokeres would’ve felt like his seven-game goal drought was the end of the world.
The drought is now over, as the striker scored a brace against Atletico and looked relieved, yet subdued after scoring his first of the night.
Gyokeres’s lack of celebration was understandable given his wait for a goal, but the forward admitted that his shortage of delight had nothing to do with his drought.
Speaking to the Amazon Prime Video panel after the game, Gyokeres revealed that he didn’t celebrate because of VAR.
“That was just because, you know, VAR,” the forward said playfully.
“I don’t know, it could’ve been something. I just wanted to wait and not do too much and be disappointed.”
It was a scruffy goal, but it was a massive confidence booster, with the drought becoming a thing of the past, as three minutes later, he found the net again.
Even before the striker scored, Arsenal fans were loving Gyokeres’ performance, with the brace coming as a much-needed bonus for the 27-year-old.
Gyokeres’ stats vs Atletico Madrid – What went well and what didn’t
Gyokeres makes Arsenal better, offering an entirely new dimension to the attack with his movement and strength.
Against Atletico, it wasn’t only his goalscoring that merited high praise, but his duel-winning too.
| Viktor Gyokeres vs Atletico Madrid |
| 3 shots |
| 2 goals |
| 4 duel wins |
| 3 clearances |
| 2 recoveries |
| 6x possession lost |
| 0 dribbles |
If scoring twice from three shots was enough, Gyokeres also won four duels and helped his team out defensively with three clearances.
Not every element of the striker’s game was rosy, however, as the summer signing certainly needs to address his work in possession.
Gyokeres failed to complete a single dribble against Atletico and lost possession six times when he was on the pitch.
Every game is a learning curve for the Sweden international, who now has five goals to his name in red and white.
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