Arsenal FC v Bayer 04 Leverkusen - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg
Viktor Gyokeres joined Arsenal from Sporting last summer (Picture: Getty)
Sporting manager Rui Borges believes Arsenal’s style of play was the reason for the ‘initial’ struggles that Viktor Gyokeres went through following his £64m summer transfer.
Gyokeres arrived at the Emirates Stadium as one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe, having netted 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting.
Mikel Arteta hoped the Sweden international would take Arsenal to another level and help the Gunners win major trophies after several near misses.
Arsenal are indeed closing in on their first Premier League title since 2004 and enjoying another deep Champions League run, but Gyokeres has not been a prolific presence in the team.
The 27-year-old has scored a respectable but far from game-changing 11 goals in the league and received criticism from a number of pundits for his general play.
Sporting boss Borges says Arsenal fans were initially ‘suspicious’ of Gyokeres but believes the striker has already shown he is a ‘great player’ who will ‘keep scoring goals’.
‘I believe in the initial stage he had to adapt, given the style of play, and how Arsenal plays,’ Borges said.
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Sporting manager Rui Borges (Picture: Getty)
‘But he is still a great forward and now he is back to what he does well which is scoring goals.
‘During the first stage, the [Arsenal] fans were suspicious given what they paid for him, but little by little the truth came to the surface and he is a really great player and he will keep scoring goals.’
Gyokeres returns to his former club on Tuesday night as Arsenal face Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
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Arteta’s £64m signing could receive a hostile welcome given how hard he pushed for a move last summer but Borges hopes he is not targeted by the Sporting fans.
‘He is a great player, and I am sure he will be welcomed by everyone because he marked the history of Sporting, and he deserves this acknowledgement,’ Borges added.
‘I always try to be balanced, and I try to understand everyone. He had the ambition, and after talking to the management, they came to an understanding.
‘So ultimately everything that happened was correct for both sides; both Sporting and the player got what they wanted. He wanted to take that step in his career and we respect that.
‘Players will change, but the club stays the same, and Sporting will go on winning. I wish him all the best and I am sure he will be very welcome here because the admiration we have for him is great.’
Arsenal visit Sporting having suffered back-to-back defeats in their last two games, losing to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final before an FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Southampton.
Southampton v Arsenal - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final
Southampton stunned Arsenal last time out (Picture: Getty)
Asked if is is an ideal time to face the Premier League leaders for a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League, Borges said: ‘No, I don’t believe that.
‘It is a great team, and great teams always want to win. They want to be in all competitions.
‘They will be like a wounded beast tomorrow. They will be more focused, more willing to show their collective and individual capacity.
‘Frankly, I think it will make things more difficult for us the fact that they have not had the best two last matches. But Arsenal will be facing a very motivated team
‘We believe we can do something extraordinary tomorrow, something that has never been done by Sporting.’
While Arsenal go into the Champions League quarter-final sitting top of the Premier League, Sporting are second in the Portuguese top-flight, five points behind Porto with a game in hand.
Sporting finished seventh in the Champions League group stage and beat Bodo-Glimt 5-3 in the round-of-16 despite losing the first leg 3-0.
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