Viktor Gyokeres has been criticised for his performances for Arsenal this season, and Jamie Redknapp has suggested that two players are partly to blame
Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal
Viktor Gyokeres joined Arsenal in the summer from Sporting CP(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
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Jamie Redknapp has suggested that the positions of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are a significant factor in Viktor Gyokeres ' struggles at Arsenal this season. Gyokeres made the move to Arsenal in the summer amidst much anticipation, given his impressive goal-scoring record with Sporting CP.
However, Gyokeres has found it challenging to replicate that form in an Arsenal shirt. The striker has scored eight goals in his 25 appearances across all competitions so far this season.
His most recent goal came in Arsenal's thrilling 3-2 victory over Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night, marking his first goal since December.
The Sweden international has faced criticism from some pundits for his performances this season. After his goal against Chelsea, Redknapp offered an explanation as to why Gyokeres might be finding it harder to be as effective for Arsenal as he was for Sporting, reports football.london.
“I can’t lie, I wasn’t watching him [Gyokeres] at Sporting every week, but I would imagine the crosses he would have been getting with the system they played, with two wing-backs," Redknapp told Sky Sports.
"Predominantly, it would have been a right-footed right wing-back and a left-footed left wing-back, so he gets crosses. Once that ball gets wide, they’re coming into him and he knows he can make that first run across the post and get in there.
“When he plays for Arsenal, the major problem is Bukayo Saka plays on the right, he’s left-footed, Martinelli the same, he want to cut back on his right foot.
"So when Bukayo Saka gets into that position to start with, instead of firing it across the face he want to chop back, so that’s where the frustration comes from.”
Following the goalless draw with Liverpool earlier this month, Mikel Arteta moved to defend Gyokeres, seemingly backing up Redknapp's view.
Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal celebrates
Viktor Gyokeres scored in Arsenal's 3-2 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside via Getty Images)
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“He Gyokeres] was in great position sometimes the ball didn't arrive,” Arteta said.
“As I said there was a situation, normally we're going to the six yard box almost with the ball in the feet, and normally that's a goal, you pick somebody and you score a goal, and we didn't do that, and that's the thing today, we have to improve, apart from the thing we did in the second half, that it wasn't probably at the standards that we are used to.”
Gyokeres will hope to take confidence from the goal against Chelsea when he and Arsenal return to action this weekend.
The Gunners travel to the East Midlands to take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, with Gyokeres on the scoresheet in the reverse fixture back in September when Arsenal won 3-0.
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