Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres has had a mixed start at the World Cup.
The Sweden international scored to help his side beat Tunisia 5-1 in their opener, but the roles were reversed in the second fixture as the Netherlands battered Graham Potter’s side with the same scoreline.
One goal in two games at the World Cup is not a bad return by any means, but that is not all Gyokeres has done in North America so far.
The Arsenal striker is outshining many big names, including Lionel Messi, in one key statistic.
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Viktor Gyokeres has created more chances than Lionel Messi at the World Cup
Viktor Gyokeres has made a name for himself as a prolific goalscorer.
The Swede scored nearly 100 goals in two seasons at Sporting CP, and he finished his debut season at Arsenal with 21 strikes as well.
What Gyokeres isn’t really renowned for is his role as a creator.
In fact, in the entirety of last season, he managed just three assists in 55 games in all competitions for Arsenal, which is far from impressive.
However, at the World Cup, he is doing wonders.
In two games for Sweden in North America, Gyokeres has created a total of seven chances for his teammates, which is a stunning return.
Even the great Messi, who has been fantastic for Argentina, has only created four chances so far this tournament.
That shows good Gyokeres has been, and that is good news for Mikel Arteta’s side going into the new season.
Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard are among the best chance creators at the World Cup
Gyokeres’ seven chances created are an excellent return, but two other Arsenal stars have been even better at the World Cup.
Leandro Trossard has created nine chances in two games for Belgium, which is extremely impressive considering he is 31 already.
The player who has been even better is Declan Rice, with 10 chances created in two games for England since the World Cup began.
It’s great to see the Arsenal players doing so well at the World Cup despite going through an extremely tiring season in the Premier League and Champions League.
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