Viktor Gyokeres got his first taste of scoring in a London derby when Arsenal beat Chelsea in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Gyokeres was superb against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and now, he’ll be looking to build on the form he’s generated ever since.
It’s six goal contributions in six games for Gyokeres recently, form he’ll be desperate to add to when the Blues visit N5 in the decisive second leg in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Chelsea have shown fantastic spirit under Liam Rosenior, but there’s one adjustment that the newly appointed manager is still working on, and Arsenal’s striker will be very aware of it.
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Viktor Gyokeres must exploit Chelsea’s clean sheet record under Liam Rosenior
Chelsea are in terrific form heading into the semi-final second leg, winning five consecutive games in all competitions.
There is, however, a theme that is appearing under Rosenior; the Blues are struggling to keep clean sheets.
In his opening seven games as Chelsea boss, Rosenior has only seen his team keep clean sheets against Pafos and Brentford.
Chelsea have conceded nine goals in their last seven games, which is only eight fewer than Arsenal’s tally in the Premier League so far.
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It’s something that Arsenal’s forwards will be very aware of, particularly Gyokeres, who could send a lift-off signal to the Gunners at long last.
If the centre-forward exploited Chelsea’s weak defence on Tuesday night, he’d score in three consecutive Arsenal games for the first time since his transfer.
Given that Gyokeres is a confidence player, scoring three in a row could truly transform the striker’s outlook and, in turn, Arsenal’s view on the remainder of the season.
The Gunners have done the hard work to sit top of the table in Europe and England; now they need to take it to a new level to get the job over the line, something their £64m striker can contribute to.
Gyokeres was deadly in Sporting CP’s title run-in last season
Gyokeres acknowledges that he’s taken his time to adapt, but in an alternative view, it’s beneficial that he’s finding form now rather than hitting it early and dropping off.
What the Swede did last season should give Mikel Arteta confidence, as after a four-game goal drought in Liga Portugal, Gyokeres started scoring again on matchday 23, and he didn’t stop.
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Between matchday 23 and matchday 34 of the Liga Portugal season, the 27-year-old scored 17 times.
The striker’s confidence took him to a level that handed Sporting the title, something he could replicate on a smaller scale in the Premier League.
Confidence is the difference-maker for Gyokeres, which is why a goal against Chelsea could change everything.
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