Gyokeres finds his groove as he braces against Atletico signals return to form. The collective sigh of relief from the Emirates Stadium. This week could be detected when the star summer acquisition at the club was Viktor Gyokeres, who finally ended his stretch of no goals in seven games with braces in a 4-0 clan of Champions League destruction of Atletico Madrid. Not only did the performance of the 64m striker help to gain an invaluable victory. But also indicated that he could have finally rounded a corner in his progression towards acclimatization to the challenges of the top football.
More Than Just the Goals
The two figures were the headline numbers. However, the manager Mikel Arteta was quick to point out the wider value that Gyokeres will add to the club. In wake of the game, Arteta disclosed he had embraced the striker a few days prior not to console him. But as part of recognition of the efforts he was working on. The manager explained further and said, he makes us a better team. He is so gungy, opens up the gaps to all. The manner in which he presses the ball, the manner in which he holds the ball, it is simply amazing. The same feeling was reflected in the behavior of the squad. They pushed him forward after his second goal so that he could receive the solo applause of the audience. This was a definite sign of their admiration of his efforts.
His all round game was visible in his performance against a physical Atletico side. Although with just 27 touches, Gyokeres had the highest number of duels won by an Arsenal player on the field (five) and won three fouls, which attests to his ability to be physically taxing in a scenario.
Adapting to the Premier League’s Demands
The first adjustment phase by Gyokeres is explicable. The Premier League is one of the most physically challenging leagues in the world and data indicate that it demands a large number of accelerations and decelerations on the part of the players. Moreover, the 27-year-old has forced himself into a more high profile role than his original role by a knee injury to another striker, Kai Havertz. He has already completed 90-minutes in seven of the 12 opening matches of the Arsenal season.
Author’s Opinion
However, even during his goal drought, the underlying statistics showed he was making a significant impact. Gyokeres leads the entire Premier League in several key defensive metrics for forwards, including pressures applied in the final third and in the opposition penalty area, outracing even Erling Haaland. This relentless work ethic is central to Arteta’s system and has made the team “much more unpredictable”.
As featured on GoonerNews.com
