Arsenal hero Paul Merson had praise for Viktor Gyokeres after his brace within the win over Atletico Madrid, but still had a worry over the Swede’s performance.
The summer signing from Sporting scored twice within the Gunners’ 4-0 Champions League win over Atletico on the Emirates on Tuesday night.
It was an enormous win for Mikel Arteta’s side and vital for the striker after a slow begin to life together with his recent club after his £64m switch.
Gyokeres had didn’t rating in seven games for Arsenal before Tuesday evening, which was beginning to constitute a goal drought early in his Gunners profession.
He has now taken his tally to 5 goals in 12 appearances and Merson was filled with praise for the forward’s work ethic and unselfish play.
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Nevertheless, the sport was goalless at half-time and Gyokeres had touched the ball just nine times, with none of those touches coming throughout the Atletico Madrid penalty box, which Merson admits is a worry for a striker.
‘The icing on the cake was Gyokeres getting two goals,’ Merson told Sky Sports. ‘As a centre-forward you wish to rating goals although you’re working hard and the group are clapping all the things he does.
‘First half, nine touches and never one within the box, that’s a worry.
‘But come the second half, you understand what I like? He just keeps on going and going, he ain’t all about himself, he’s concerning the team. If he gets the ball down the channel he’ll play the straightforward ball for the team, he won’t attempt to cut inside and have a 30-yard shot that’s never, ever going to go in.
‘Good team player, for me, you’d want him in your team.’
Premier League legend Alan Shearer raised the identical concern, saying on Amazon Prime at half-time: ‘I would love to see them involve Viktor Gyokeres more. He’s only had nine touches, none within the box.
‘That’s pretty alarming for any centre forward at any level. They should get him in the sport and find him a little bit bit earlier. There’s no problem together with his work-rate , his closing down and his defensive duties.
‘But they haven’t paid that cash for him simply to work hard and do defensive duties. They paid that cash for him to attain goals in order that they have to feed him more.’
After all Gyokeres got here good within the second half, scoring twice, as Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli also found the back of the online.
Arteta said of the Sweden international: ‘He deserved it because all the things that we were seeing by way of what he was bringing to the team and the way much he was helping the team in lots of areas, aside from scoring goals in the previous couple of weeks, there was no debate about that.
‘It was about keeping that belief in himself, that emotional state that he can enjoy and play freely.
‘I believe he has definitely done that today, [he had] an enormous smile on his face.
Viktor Gyokeres Premier League stats
Apps: 8
Goals: 3
Assists: 0
‘Take a look at his teammates as well, in the image and the video, they’re all so comfortable for him because he fully deserves it.’
Gyokeres was asked what would represent a superb first season at Arsenal and told CBS Sports: ‘At the start after all we wish to win trophies, that’s a very powerful. After all I would like to contribute with goals and improve my game by way of playing also.’
Arsenal’s win kept up their perfect begin to the Champions League campaign with three victories from three games, while in addition they sit top of the Premier League table.
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