Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray won’t be at all surprised by what he saw Viktor Gyokeres produce in Arsenal’s win over the Seagulls.
Gyokeres was terrible against Brighton, completing only four passes in his 71 minutes on the pitch before being replaced by Gabriel Jesus.
There was always going to be an adaptation period for the striker; however, given Arsenal’s inability to convert their chances, fans are losing patience.
Since his transfer to Arsenal, Gyokeres has only scored three non-penalty goals in the Premier League, numbers that won’t cut it, but numbers that some expected.
If you could give one advice to Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal right now, what would it be?
Glenn Murray had doubts about Viktor Gyokeres before he even joined Arsenal
Before signing for Arsenal, the Swede had experience of playing in England, having represented Coventry City in the Championship and Brighton, predominantly at youth level.
While on the coast, Gyokeres rose through the ranks, something Glenn Murray witnessed.
Interestingly, soon after the Swede’s transfer to Arsenal, Murray shared his doubts about Gyokeres, concerns that already carry weight.
Murray admitted that when the two players were at Brighton, he never saw Gyokeres as having the potential to become a ‘£64m striker’.
In Murray’s eyes, the striker was completely different to Ben White, who everyone realised was destined to play in the Premier League, the opposite of Gyokeres.
“When Viktor came in, it was more a case where you thought he was all right. I am not sure he suits Arsenal’s style, either,” Murray said.
After what unfolded on matchday 18 between Arsenal and Brighton, it’s fair to say that Murray’s warning was valid, as Gyokeres and Arsenal look far from a perfect match.
Mikel Arteta will be particularly alarmed by one area of Gyokeres’ performance against Brighton
Very few Arsenal players understand how to play with Gyokeres, which is a concern for Mikel Arteta, who needs his summer signing to quickly find his bearings.
How concerned are you by Viktor Gyokeres’ performance vs Brighton
It’s easy to single out Gyokeres’ misses in the clash against Brighton, but a different area of his game would’ve alarmed Arteta even more.
Arsenal’s strikers have to win duels; that is a must, but Gyokeres is not up to speed in that area, winning 25% of those he was involved in against the Seagulls.
There’s little presence of a striker in Arsenal’s starting XI right now, which explains why own goals are becoming match-winners and, regrettably, why Gyokeres so frequently looks like a passenger.
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