Viktor Gyokeres has divided opinion in his first few months at Arsenal.
The Gunners were in desperate need of a new striker in the summer transfer window, and many thought Benjamin Sesko would be the one coming to the Emirates Stadium.
However, Andrea Berta chose Gyokeres, who was the most prolific striker in Europe during his two years at Sporting CP.
The Premier League was always going to be a level above the Portuguese top flight, but some people still expected more than Gyokeres.
But he may actually be better than they think.
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Viktor Gyokeres has made Arsenal flawless recently
Viktor Gyokeres will be the first to admit that he hasn’t scored enough goals at Arsenal.
The Swede has found the net seven times in 20 appearances for the Gunners so far, two of which have come from the penalty spot.
That is an awful return, and with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus back from their injuries, Gyokeres will know that those numbers must improve for him to stay in the side.
However, when Gyokeres starts, Arsenal are better off.
Since the draw against Manchester City in September, the Gunners have won every single game in which the former Sporting star has started.
That is an outrageous return, and it’s not just a coincidence – Gyokeres helps Arsenal in a way that Jesus and Havertz just cannot.
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Gyokeres’ main role in the team is to score goals, but that’s not all he does.
We have all seen the striker drop deep and link up play with his teammates, while some of his runs open up space for players like Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard.
However, Gyokeres’ presence at the top end of the pitch forces defenders to be less aggressive when they push forward. That means the opposition’s press is not as intense when he is on the pitch.
When the 27-year-old is taken off and replaced by Jesus or Mikel Merino, teams tend to press Arsenal harder and have created a lot of chances as a result.
Yes, lack of goals is a problem, but Gyokeres brings a lot more to the team than people think, and we expect him to keep his place in the side against Bournemouth for that reason.
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