Viktor Gyokeres
Image credit: Getty Images
Alan Shearer admitted he was “pretty alarmed” by Viktor Gyokeres’ quiet first-half display before the Arsenal striker came alive with two goals in the club’s emphatic 4-0 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal produced a scintillating second-half performance at the Emirates, scoring four times in just 13 minutes to maintain their flawless European record this season. The match had been finely balanced before the break, with both sides struggling to find rhythm, and Gyokeres largely anonymous, registering only nine touches in the opening 45 minutes.
After the restart, however, Mikel Arteta’s men completely took charge. Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring with a powerful header from Declan Rice’s pinpoint delivery, before Gabriel Martinelli doubled the lead just after the hour mark, calmly finishing off a superb solo run by Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Gyokeres finally ended his nine-game goal drought soon after, his scuffed effort taking a deflection off an Atletico defender and creeping into the bottom corner. It was his first goal in over 600 minutes of football but the Swedish forward didn’t have to wait long for another, poking home from close range following a chaotic Arsenal corner to make it 4-0.
READ MORE: Arsenal crush Atletico to maintain perfect Champions League record
Speaking at half-time, Premier League all-time top scorer Shearer had expressed concern about Gyokeres’ lack of involvement. “I would like to see them involve Viktor Gyokeres more,” he said on Amazon Prime.
Alan Shearer - Arsenal - Myles Lewis-Skelly - Premier League
Alan Shearer (Image credit: Getty Images)
“He’s only had nine touches, none in the box. That’s pretty alarming for any centre forward at any level. They need to get him in the game and find him a little bit earlier. There’s no problem with his work-rate, his closing down and his defensive duties.
“But they haven’t paid that money for him just to work hard and do defensive duties. They paid that money for him to score goals, so they need to feed him more.”
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After the striker’s first goal, Shearer praised Gyokeres for his persistence and timing. “He won’t care one bit, all that matters is getting the ball in the back of the net,” Shearer remarked.
“He won’t care how that’s gone in! He’s put a shift in and you can hear the response from the fans when he closes down defenders. He deserves that little bit of luck in front of goal, and it will do his confidence the world of good.”
Gyokeres, who joined Arsenal from Sporting CP last summer in a £64 million move, was substituted late on to a standing ovation from the home crowd.
Reflecting on the striker’s turnaround, Shearer added: “He wasn’t a goal threat in the first half but the fans appreciated his hard work and defensive duties. He’s going to get judged on goals, so for him to get two in the second half will do his confidence the world of good.”
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