No one knows how to get the best out of Viktor Gyokeres more than Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim.
It was Amorim who signed the striker at Sporting CP, coaching him to become a world-beater in Lisbon, where he scored 97 goals in two seasons.
Since joining Arsenal, things have been a lot different for Gyokeres, who has struggled to rediscover that level, scoring just four Premier League goals so far.
The good news is that, while there’s a lot left to be desired, there’s something there, something that Amorim has already informed Mikel Arteta how to utilise.
Will Viktor Gyokeres turn it around like Thierry Henry did? If not, why?
Ruben Amorim knows how to unlock Viktor Gyokeres
Gyokeres found Amorim’s system perfect, which signals just how much of a task Arteta has to get the Swede adapted to Arsenal’s opposite tactics.
Though there’s a belief that Gyokeres will become deadly at Arsenal, the £64m signing has a lot to improve on, something Amorim might say his teammates must help him with.
Speaking in a press conference [13/08/2023] after Sporting CP’s win over FC Vizela back in 2023, Amorim revealed what makes Gyokeres ‘more dangerous’.
“He always wants the ball in space, and that makes him more dangerous,” Amorim said.
“He gives us more aggression, which makes the team stronger.”
Gyokeres scored twice in that match, helping Sporting on their way to a 3-2 victory with his brilliance.
Now, Arsenal must use the Man United boss’s words and put them into practice, as the striker’s teammates need to target space in the final third for the Sweden international to run into, which rarely happens.
Arsenal overcomplicate their attack at times, which was on show against Wolves, when really, all that’s needed sometimes is an intricate pass into an unoccupied area of the pitch.
Unlike before, Arteta now has a goalscoring menace to chase those passes; he just needs to allow his playmakers to veer away from predictable, horseshoe-like attacking sequences.
Gyokeres made it clear what he needs in the 75th minute vs Wolves
Some may say it’s the difference between the Premier League and the Liga Portugal that’s stunning Gyokeres, but it’s not solely an adaptation issue on the player’s part.
Arsenal need to learn to play to the striker’s strengths, which they clearly know, as we saw against Wolves.
What is Viktor Gyokeres’ biggest weakness right now? 😬
What must Mikel Arteta work on with the Swede in training?
Gyokeres didn’t have his best game, but in the 75th minute, he showed what he does best.
A ball into his feet when he was pinned to his marker with his back to goal triggered something in Gyokeres.
The 27-year-old used his strength to turn and get his shot away, an attempt that trickled just wide of the goal.
Arsenal know the type of service Gyokeres craves, so it’s now on Arteta to get the attack dancing to his tune.
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