Viktor Gyokeres has hardly set the world alight since signing for Arsenal and now Mikel Arteta has effectively sent a message to his number nine.
Gyokeres was signed for around £63m in the summer as the Gunners finally looked to have landed the number nine many craved.
However, a return of just seven goals so far this season has been underwhelming, leading to some questioning if he truly is the man to take them forward.
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Of course, it is early days in terms of his Arsenal career. But for his manager Mikel Arteta, it’s very much part and parcel of being at a huge club.
What Mikel Arteta has said about Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal
Given the lack of goals and how he isn’t always a starter, the spotlight is naturally going to fall on Gyokeres this season.
Indeed, even his manager is now being asked questions.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of facing Bournemouth this weekend, Arteta was asked if he feels the criticism levelled at his big summer signing is fair.
And in a somewhat blunt message, Arteta has said that the Swedish striker basically needs to get used to it and up his level.
“I don’t know, but he’s going to continue to have a lot of noise around him for the next five years. I’m sure about that,” Arteta admitted.
“Since day one, you sign as a number nine for Arsenal with the background that he has and the expectation that we have as a team.
“That’s not going away.
“That’s part of his role and that’s part of life of being Arsenal number nine and that’s it.”
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There are a couple of ways to look at this from an Arsenal perspective.
On one hand, you can take this as a measured response from Arteta and a way of him simply sticking up for his man and pointing out the obvious about the size of the club.
However, on the other hand, you can look at this as a bit of a kick up the backside for a striker who quite clearly hasn’t delivered like many expected so far.
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The comments around being part of life at Arsenal are interesting and this could be Mikel Arteta effectively saying to his big striker ‘get on with it, improve, or we’ll look elsewhere’.
Now, it’s down to Gyokeres on how he reacts and what motivation he has going forward.
There’s no doubting he has the talent and athleticism to succeed at The Emirates. But in testing times like this and with your manager directly commenting on your form, it feels like a telling moment for the Swedish star.
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