"Fox in the box goals" were Viktor Gyökeres' reward for an excellent centre-forward display in Arsenal’s 4-0 victory over Atlético de Madrid on Tuesday night.
That was the verdict of UEFA Technical Observer Ole Gunnar Solskjær after he watched the striker end a seven-match run without scoring for Arsenal.
As it happened: Arsenal 4-0 Atleti
Gyökeres' two close-range finishes are the focus of the following analysis, brought to you by FedEx, though Solskjær started by praising the Swede's all-round performance. "His overall work rate is an example to follow," he said of the Player of the Match.
"He led the line perfectly as their first defender with an aggressive press, good hold-up play and his hard work was rewarded with two goals. It’s good to see a centre-forward be such a team player and get his ‘fox in the box’ goals after running his socks off for his team."
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Patience and composure
FedEx Performance Zone: Arsenal's fox in the box
As featured in the video, Gyökeres' pair of poacher’s goals were the product of being in the right place at the right time – and keeping his composure. Solskjær gave the example of Gyökeres’ movement for the second goal, which followed Declan Rice’s corner.
"If you run towards the near post and the ball goes over you, suddenly now you’re the far-post man," he noted – and in that position, a forward can profit by remaining composed and alert, while the defenders around are typically, and instinctively, looking towards the ball.
"Space is your best friend in the box."
Ole Gunnar Solskjær, UEFA Technical Observer
Gyökeres himself recognised the importance of this in his post-match interview with Amazon Prime. "Sometimes you can overdo it," he began. "You think it is the right thing to do to get in front and then the ball maybe comes a bit behind you so also [you need] to have the patience and to wait for the right moment – and that’s something I can improve – but just to be there, to be aggressive and the chance will come."
Coaching reflection – Solskjær on penalty-box poaching
Scorer of Manchester United’s 1999 UEFA Champions League final-winning goal, Solskjær believes anticipation and space are two crucial components for a striker in the penalty box. "As a centre-forward you always have to be an optimist," he explained. "Anticipate – or hope – the ball is landing where you have space. Space is your best friend in the box."
A renowned striker who won six Premier League titles at Manchester United, and scored the winner in the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League final, Solskjær steered Molde to two league titles in his native Norway then reached the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League final as United boss.