Viktor Gyoker produced a 0.00 forecast target and 0.01 forecast assist for Man City as Arsenal was tied for a 1-1 draw on Sunday and the knife was out.
After the Premier League match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta defended gyoker, saying he was “at his best.”
“It’s very difficult to get a very big open opportunity, but he certainly does his best and tries to do it.
“There were a lot of situations where we had opportunities and then the final pass was missing today. We were very open in many moments.”
Arteta also claimed that the Swedes had “strong performances.” Former Watford captain Troy Deaney scored an exception, comparing the Gunners boss to the paranoia Eric Eric Tenhuggs he showed during his time at Manchester United.
“The manager understands that he has to give the strikers confidence, but he just described Gyoker as “has a strong performance,” Deeney said on Talksport.
“When (Erik) Ten Hag was at Man United, he was lying to us that it was a good performance. We saw the game, we saw it.
“As a former striker, I’m always going to look at the forward. What do you think he has a strong performance?”
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After Arsenal fans called Talksport’s Deeney, the former Premier League striker added: “He definitely scores goals, and my concern lies in these big games.
“You brought him in and you got that goal. You saw it with Haarland, you’ve seen it with Haarland and you’ve seen him have 10 or 12 touches in the game.
“I don’t feel that feeling with Gyoker. I do it against Leeds, Wolves, West Ham. I don’t care when I play against those teams. But when it’s these big moments, I don’t feel that.
“That’s the feeling.
Elsewhere, Sky Sports Pandit’s Jamie Karager asked if Gyoker “sees the “elite” a bit shorter” against Arsenal’s big six rivals before Sunday’s Premier League draw.
And after the game, Carragher said that the problems with Arsenal depended on Gyoker’s ability to lead the line more.
“He’s not kicking today, so I might get criticism again behind the scenes of today’s game, but I don’t think he had a chance in these three games,” Karager added.
“They’re not creating opportunities for him, so I’m coming back when people keep saying, ‘Arsenal issues are over.’ But it’s not, it’s creating.
“They aren’t creating enough… they’re not creating one chance for him.”
Written in The Times, former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino said that Arteta is “redundant” in the Spaniard’s current system and wouldn’t be surprised if Arteta started Kai Herberts when he returns from his injury.
I couldn’t help but think: Why did Mikel Arteta sign him to play like this? Though three goals from his first five Premier League matches are not bad returns for Gyoker, Arteta will need to adjust his approach in the big game to make the most of the £63 million striker and give Arsenal a chance that could potentially win a title this season.
The 27-year-old Gyoker was signed as Arsenal’s missing piece, pushing them from candidates to champions…but his approach to the big match against Arsenal’s slow, barren ownership-based approach doesn’t suit him. It makes him redundant. In Portugal, in Sports Lisbon, Gyoker showed he would thrive at the moment of transition, but Arsenal doesn’t move the ball fast enough for him.
It would not be surprising if Arteta chose Kai Herberts over Gyoker after the German player returns to full fitness. Havertz will have much more of his ability to lift and drop the ball and link plays to match Arsenal’s approach to Big Match. Gyoker wouldn’t have expected that it would become a possibility when he signed, but that could certainly be a reality.
If they (Arsenal) win the title, they will need Gyoker to make his mark in the biggest match.
In goal, Gjoker was the biggest loser of the Arsenal-City match.
Even if all the add-ons are fulfilled, Arsenal hasn’t spent more than £64 million on Viktor Gyoker. But, after all, there may be a reason the gunner could have got him at such a price.
Gyoker plundered three goals in five Premier League matches. But against City, he certainly looked like someone unfamiliar with competing at this level, finishing the day with a low cross swipe through the corridor of zero shots and uncertainty.
Arteta said at his press conference that City was just the right team and that he wasn’t particularly concerned about Gyoker’s performance as he got closer to actually taking shots. It’s not the answer that convinced the listeners. Gyoker may compete with Premier League feed, but he is seriously struggling in the most demanding tests ever.
Are you watching the latest flat track bully in the Premier League? Tell us what you’re thinking under the line…
Details: Premier League Table | Premier League XI of the Season | Arsenal 1-1 Man City: 16 conclusions
