Viktor Gyökeres Shines With Key Attribute in Win Over Slavia Prague

The Swedish striker has struggled to convince the Arsenal boss to pick him to start in high stakes outings due to Kai Havertz cementing a stable spot leading the line.

Gyokeres has recorded three assists in his last five appearances, which equals the tally he amassed over the course of last term, albeit his assist to Ezri Konsa against Everton came inadvertently in an attempt to bundle the ball in from a corner.

There is still productive progress in how he provides and initiates chances, most evident in his Champions League performances so far.

Arsenal were completely in charge in the first half of their 2-1 victory over Slavia Prague, and the hold-up play of Gyökeres spearheaded the attack and inflicted the most damage.

After nine minutes, he brought the ball under control, shielding it away from the lurking defenders, spun, and released Noni Madueke, who managed to score the breakthrough.

His next decisive involvement came towards the end of the first half when combining with Mikel Merino, drifting over to occupy the right-back, and he instinctively took the ball in his stride to breach the opposing defence.

A small adjusting touch to allow him to open up his body proved crucial to conjuring a sublime effort, kissing the inside of the right post before finding the net.

The admittedly more exposed defensive setup of a team without a Champions League win since 2007 made those actions easier, particularly for the second goal when Gyokeres was afforded far too much space.

That does not take away from how he has developed this skill with teammates on the same wavelength, and relishing specific areas of the pitch in doing so.

Coming on as a substitute in the 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich, he held off Jonathan Tah and turned it round the corner to the onrushing Declan Rice, for him to go on and notch the leveller.

The runners off Gyökeres have been instrumental in supporting the attacks without hesitation, and perhaps significantly in areas that are not overly congested in central areas.

The 28-year-old is not the most adept at prevailing in aerial duels, and as for the alternative dynamic he brings in running into channels, his lack of electric speed can hamper the efficiency of this.

Prowling the box and converting chances, on the other hand, is where Gyökeres likes to thrive, and that was what his acquisition last summer was seemingly about addressing.

But Arteta’s allegiance to using Havertz has ensured Arsenal operate in a fluid way, demanding something different from a conventional number nine.

As long as both stay free from injury, it will be interesting to see if Arteta does face a selection dilemma between Havertz and Gyokeres when approaching games against Europe’s elite.

Depending on the opponent, leaning into the developing strengths of Gyokeres could prove fruitful. However, it will likely boil down to more than simply rotation to displace his favoured attacking colleague for the bigger tests this season. 

Following the slim victory over Slavia Prague, where Arsenal almost paid the full price for resting on their laurels in the second half, Arteta expanded on Gyokeres’ role.

'I thought he was really good. It’s a game that we believe was really good for him, for the demands the opponent puts on him, for the spaces that he could use. He’s done it really well. 

'Not only the assist and the goal, but he was really connected to the team. And yeah, great news because I think he needed that performance.'

On connecting with his teammates: 'He did that really well. He understood really well when to appear, when to threaten, because they follow man-to-man on the midfield. There’s a lot of space there.'

'I’m really pleased because I think overall he had a great performance aside from the goal and assist.'

Arsenal will return to domestic duties as they host Hull City on Saturday in their final game before the November international break.