Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has lifted the lid on a private conversation he had with summer signing Viktor Gyokeres in light of the striker's current goal drought
Mikel Arteta speaks to Viktor Gyokeres
Mikel Arteta has opened up about a private conversation he had with Viktor Gyokeres concerning his dry spell
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Mikel Arteta has reassured Viktor Gyokeres he has "a lot of faith" in his ability to contribute at Arsenal despite his recent goal drought. The Sweden striker has scored three times in 11 games for the Gunners thus far and has gone seven straight games without finding the back of the net.
However, that hasn't been enough to shake Arteta's belief in his new frontman. In fact, the Spaniard was prepared for this very eventuality and believes now is the time when Gyokeres will prove his value.
Arsenal will face one of their most difficult tests of the season to date when they host Atletico Madrid on Tuesday evening. Speaking ahead of the game, Arteta was asked about his frontman's barren spell and doubled down on his belief that Gyokeres can overcome the sour spell.
"This is football, and we can't expect a player to change contexts [from Sporting CP to Arsenal, or Portugal to England] and have him do the same thing instantly," he told Marca. "Things are very different. All players in the world need one thing: their state of mind to be at its best.
"And if that's not provided by their performance or a specific aspect of the game they expect from you, we have to provide it for them to maintain their optimal state of mind. I told Viktor in our first meeting that the No. 9 I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they went six or eight games without scoring. If not, you're not good enough at this level. That's why I have a lot of faith in him."
Much was expected from Gyokeres after he bagged 97 goals in 102 outings for Sporting. That included a ridiculous return of 54 finishes in only 52 matches for the club last season.
However, the £55million man has fallen somewhat flat so far. That's despite the fact Arsenal currently sit top of the Premier League and are yet to drop a point in Europe after two matches.
A goal against Atletico would go a long way to silencing some of the critics and proving he can indeed thrive against elite defences. Diego Simeone's side have had their own hiccups in La Liga this term and have already lost to Liverpool in the Champions League.
There was always bound to be a period of growing pains for Arsenal after altering their attacking strategy. Gyokeres is the first natural No. 9 to lead their line for some time given the likes of Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino played in very different capacities last term.
Viktor Gyokeres in action for Arsenal
Gyokeres has at times looked unsure of himself since moving back to England(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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Both of those options preferred to drop deeper and play with their back to goal for the most part. But Gyokeres has come to thrive in his work running in behind defences and offering a very different outlet to what many may be used to.
The onus is also on Arteta, in that case, to ensure arguably his most important summer edition is being exploited. And Gyokeres' numbers in Portugal speak for themselves in regards to what he's capable of when set up to succeed.
Arsenal can move to the head of the Champions League standings with a home win over Atletico on Tuesday. They're one of six teams to have won each of their opening two fixtures, with the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain also among that number.
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