Gyokeres bagged a brace against Leeds United.placeholder image
Gyokeres bagged a brace against Leeds United. | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Liverpool host Arsenal this weekend and a Viktor Gyokeres goal can help him avoid a prophecy set by a former Premier League striker.
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres got off the mark in the Premier League last weekend against newly promoted Leeds United and the Gunners will hope that is the taste of more to come from their summer signing.
The Gunners paid £55 million to bring the 27-year-old to the Emirates Stadium from Sporting CP after he plundered 54 goals in all competitions last season. That was a marquee signing but there were questions over whether Gyokeres’ form in Portugal could translate to the Premier League.
The talisman was named in the starting XI against Manchester United on the opening weekend but looked a little lost on the biggest stage, being hooked by Mikel Arteta after 60 minutes. Gyokeres’ performance received criticism with some fearing he could be a ‘flat-track bully’.
Viktor Gyokeres given ‘flat-track bully’ label
Former Premier League striker Charlie Austin used that phrase when speaking about the player on Sky Sports. The ex QPR and Burnley man, who is now playing for Basingstoke Town, said: “Arsenal have been crying out now for 18 months, two years, for a number nine who can take them to the title. They are hoping Viktor Gyokeres is going to come in and do that but unfortunately time is not on his side. He needs to come in and hit the ground running because that’s big money they’ve spent on him.
“Ultimately, the football club, the fans have turned around and gone, ‘he’s our guy that’s going to win the title’. I think, against the top teams, not for me. Against the bottom teams, the lesser teams, he’s gonna score some.
“I’m almost going to say a flat-track bully, that’s how I see Viktor Gyokeres is going to play. He’s going to score a hat-trick or goals against bottom half teams but against the top sides, I think he may struggle.”
Gyokeres silenced critics with his convincing brace last weekend against Leeds United. The forward’s first strike came after a bustling run through the Whites defence in the box and he added to it with a late penalty.
Arsenal star must silence critics against porous Liverpool
Those goals will have done the player’s confidence a world of good. Speaking about Gyokeres on The Rest Is Football podcast, Alan Shearer said: “Do you know what was even more impressive for me was him grabbing hold of the ball and going for the penalty. Love that. Strikers, you’ve got to. What a chance. You are the striker. That is your best possible opportunity to score.
“I’m not sure that he would have had if Saka had been on, then he might not have been on it. But I just thought, yeah, great, go and take the penalty. You’ve already got one.”
Gyokeres must take that confidence into the fixture against Liverpool on Sunday. The Gunners signed the player in order to make the difference in the biggest matches such as this weekend, which could prove vital should the campaign be a neck-in-neck title race against the Merseyside outfit.
Arne Slot’s side have won both their opening two fixtures this season, but are porous at the back with AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United both registering twice against Liverpool. There are goals for Arsenal on Sunday and Gyokeres must sniff them out to kill the ‘flat-track bully’ claim straight away.
In other news, Arsenal legend tells Mikel Arteta what he must do to avoid pressure amid huge spending bill.
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