Viktor Gyokeres had an eventful end to the international break with Sweden
Viktor Gyokeres of Sweden celebrates
Viktor Gyokeres scored winner against Romania(Image: Getty Images)
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Viktor Gyokeres was jokingly accused of intentionally missing a goal so that one of his teammates wouldn't register an assist. Gyokeres scored the only goal as Sweden rounded off their quartet of Nations League games with a 1-0 win over Romania.
The Arsenal striker probably should have had a second goal after failing to convert a simple chance by his standards. Following a cross from Eric Smith, Gyokeres found himself in acres of space in front of the goal, only to misjudge the ball as the chance went begging.
Defender Smith, 29, who doesn't regularly produce assists, joked that Gyokeres deliberately missed the chance. He told Swedish media: "I think he did it on purpose, yes.
"No, but I think he thought the goalkeeper would take the ball, I actually thought so too. He was probably a little surprised. Then it was probably a little too high too. But we'll all look at it together later and see what he thinks."
It was still a good night for Smith, who helped Sweden to a rare clean sheet after conceding in their previous 18 games. The St Pauli star said: "It's nice to keep a clean sheet and be able to win in different ways.
"It helps us as a group. Even though we didn't have our best day offensively, we managed to win and that's good."
Eric Smith (L) of Sweden jumps to the ball with Andrei Ratiu (R) of Romania
Eric Smith was denied an assist by the miss(Image: Getty Images)
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As for Gyokeres, he wasn't too concerned about the missed chance, preferring to focus on Sweden's excellent start to their Nations League campaign. After four games, they sit top of Group B4 and on course to secure promotion to League A.
He told TV4: "It feels good, it's always nice to score a goal and get 10 points out of a possible 12. I feel in good shape."
Viktor Gyokeres of Sweden
Gyokeres was on the receiving end of an elbow(Image: Getty Images)
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He felt in good shape despite being caught with a stray elbow from a Romanian player during the match. He said: "Of course, it's frustrating for most people. But it also triggers you, so it can be good. I got extra energy."
Gyokeres returns to Arsenal duty on Saturday, looking to help the Gunners bounce back from the 3-0 defeat to Brighton just before the extended international break.