Viktor Gyokeres
Viktor Gyokeres
A striker who scores for his country in September still has to win his place back at his club. One rebound in Solna does not rewrite five league games on the bench.
Criticism follows the minutes. Praise follows the next start. He knows that circuit by now.
The manager’s message, as he tells it, is simple. Do better when the chance comes. Score.
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Viktor Gyokeres scored the winner as Sweden beat Romania 2-1 in the Nations League. It was his first competitive goal since the World Cup opener against Tunisia and his first of the season.
He finished a rebound at the far post after Lucas Bergvall’s effort. Graham Potter’s side took the three points in Solna.
“It’s always nice to score a goal,” Gyokeres told Fotbollskanalen. “It was a good finish from Lucas (Bergvall) and I was in a good position at the far post. I received it and got it in, so it was nice. It was nice to play and it was fun out there.”
At Arsenal he has played behind Kai Havertz and has no Premier League goal this term. The British press has questioned whether last season’s output can return.
“If there is a lot of (criticism) and you read it, of course you can be influenced, but that is not something I do. If you do well you get praise and if you don’t score goals as a striker and play as they expect, there is criticism. That is how it is for all footballers. It goes up and down. It is normal.”
Viktor Gyokeres speaking on his lack of minutes so far this season and Mikel Arteta while on international duty.
I like this. His attitude is top. pic.twitter.com/x4qJtqIlSF
— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) September 26, 2026
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On what Mikel Arteta wants from him to start again, he did not dress it up.
“I obviously need to do better, and yes, I want to do it, so that’s no problem. It’s good (the dialogue with Arteta). I just try to do well when I get the chance and score goals.”
On the lack of minutes: “You always want to be on the field as a football player, that’s just how it is. I haven’t played a lot, but I’ve had a few games. It felt okay then, but it’s clear that you want to play football and you want to play as much as possible. If I focus, that will come too.”
Havertz went off with a suspected hamstring in Germany’s 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on Thursday and was sent for a scan. That changes the picture for Leeds on 10 October if the Arsenal centre-forward is not ready.
Sweden still have Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina in this window. Another goal would help the noise. It would not, on its own, pick the team.
Arteta’s demand, in Gyokeres’s own words, is to do better and take the chance. The Romania finish was the first answer of the season. The next one has to come in an Arsenal shirt.
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta
Ceadach O’Neill
Ceadach O’Neill