Arsenal: Gyokeres told it’s not his fault goals aren’t flowing as team-mates are ‘working’ him out
Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn does not feel it’s solely down to Viktor Gyokeres that he’s not finding the net, as his team-mates are “just about working out what he’s doing.”
Gyokeres has not had the start to life at Arsenal that his previous stats suggested he might have. Indeed, he bagged 54 goals in all competitions last season with Sporting CP.
So far with Arsenal, the Swede has five goals in 13 games in all competitions. After 13 games with Sporting last term, Gyokeres was on 18 goals.
But his struggle for goals at the Emirates is not solely his own fault, per Arsenal legend Winterburn.
He told football.london: “I don’t think it’s him [to blame]. I actually probably look at it as a bit of a role reversal. My personal take is I think he’s looked a lot sharper in the last few games rather than at the start.
“Let’s just talk about percentage goals-wise. He’s not where he wants to be. He makes some intelligent runs. I still think that the rest of the team are adapting around him. They’re just about working out what he’s doing, where he wants the ball.
“There’s no doubt in my mind those goals will come. At the moment, we’ve been dominant on set plays, and we’ve struggled in open play a little bit to create lots of chances, which is not down solely to him.
“But to me, he looks more comfortable in the last two or three weeks in the team than I think at the start of the season. Mikel Arteta will be doing a huge amount of work with him in training.
“I think that will all come together. At this stage, to be honest with you, I’m not worried about it. If he’s still, let’s say, struggling for goals, which is not all about what you want your striker to do.
“You want link-up play. You want movement as well. But if we’re still talking about the same things at Christmas, it may be more of a slighter concern, and going through into January.
“But at the moment, I’m not worried. Personally, as I just said, I think he looks a lot sharper in the last two or three weeks than he’s looked at the very, very start of the season.”
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A look at the stats shows why things are harder for Gyokeres at Arsenal, with SofaScore showing he is taking just 2.1 shots per game in the Premier League, compared to 4.2 in Liga Portugal last season with Sporting.
Some blame should fall at Gyokeres’ door, though.
Indeed, in the Premier League for Arsenal, he has missed more big chanced (five) than he has goals (three.)
READ MORE: Chelsea legend Cech feels Arsenal ‘have a chance’ of breaking ‘insane’ Blues record
