Mikel Arteta believes Viktor Gyokeres produced exactly the kind of performance he needed as Arsenal beat Slavia Prague 2-1 in the Champions League.
The Swedish striker played a decisive role in Prague, setting up Noni Madueke for the opener before scoring Arsenal’s second before half-time.
More importantly for Arteta, Gyokeres looked far more involved in Arsenal’s overall attacking play after a difficult start to the season in which regular opportunities have been limited.
Arteta delighted with Gyokeres response
Speaking after the game, Arteta made it clear that Gyokeres’ contribution went well beyond his goal and assist.
“I thought he was really good,” Arteta said, as reported by Hayters.
“It’s a game that we believed was really good for him, for the demands of the opponents, for the spaces he could use.
“He’s done that really well. Not only the assist and the goal, but he was really connected to the team and great news, because I think he needed that performance.”
Arteta was particularly pleased with how the striker exploited Slavia’s man-to-man defensive approach.
“He did that really well,” he said. “He understood really well when to appear, when to thread because they follow man to man in midfield and leave a lot of spaces there.
“Really pleased because I think overall he had a great performance separate from the goal and assist.”
Gyokeres’ display helped Arsenal move onto 10 points from four Champions League matches, with Sky Sports noting that he was central to their dominant first-half performance.
Arsenal striker may have saved his future
This performance could be particularly important given the recent speculation around Gyokeres’ role at Arsenal.
CaughtOffside that his lack of form and reduced role had prompted fresh debate over whether Arsenal should consider replacing him.
Arteta had already publicly backed the forward, with CaughtOffside also reporting that the manager still viewed him as an important part of the squad despite Kai Havertz receiving more opportunities.
For Gyokeres, this felt like a timely reminder of what he can offer.
One strong Champions League night will not settle every question about his future, but if he continues producing performances like this, Arteta may soon have a much harder decision to make over his first-choice striker.
Arteta identifies key Arsenal problem after 2-1 European win against Slavia Prague