If one year ago you told Arsenal fans that Viktor Gyokeres would be competing with Mikel Merino to start as Mikel Arteta’s striker, many would’ve thought it was a lie.
On the back of a 54-goal scoring season with Sporting CP, Gyokeres joined Arsenal and has since struggled to adapt.
So much so that Merino is still very much in the frame to be Arsenal’s striker, having been introduced to the position back in February.
There’s a reason why Arteta is a huge admirer of Merino, one being how he can hold himself in the final third.
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Mikel Merino stresses the importance of duel-winning at Arsenal
Speaking to Owen Hargreaves for TNT Sports, Merino was asked about the importance of duel-winning, one thing the Arsenal manager demands.
“It seems like nothing has happened, but the whole action changes completely because, if you lose that duel, you are suddenly defending your own box, if you win that duel, you are attacking in an open play action,” Merino explained.
“The momentum changes for the team as well, so nowadays, duels are massive in football, in the Premier League even more, so trying to win those duels is very, very important.”
Arteta hates losing duels and has drilled the importance of winning them into his squad.
Merino leads by example, being a player built to come out on top in duels, but his teammate, Gyokeres, is way behind the rest.
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Merino’s comments came before Arsenal’s win over Everton, which makes them all the more significant to Gyokeres.
Jamie Redknapp wasn’t impressed with Gyokeres after the match, highlighting the Swede’s weaknesses in duels.
“He’s struggling with the physicality, considering he’s a big guy. I’ve never seen him win a duel,” the pundit told Sky Sports.
Redknapp’s concerns carried weight, as against the Toffees, Gyokeres’ duel-winning rate was just 27%, which, concerningly, is just short of his average for the season.
Prove me wrong: Without duel-winning Viktor Gyokeres will not settle in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
If you look at the average duel-winning percentage per match of Arsenal’s forwards in the Premier League this season, it’s clear to see how much Gyokeres needs to improve.
Winning the duels he’s involved in is a must, and with some work, could help the Swede rediscover his scoring form.
Gyokeres thrives when running into space, which is more likely to appear should he get to the ball before the defender when possession is there for the taking.
Merino is clued up on duel-winning, and it’s made him one of the most reliable players in the Arsenal squad, something Gyokeres must take note of.
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