Half full Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal forward Swen Schmid continues to have difficult fortunes since joining the club. Before that, he blew everyone at Sporting away by scoring 97 goals in only 102 matches. Even though he hasn’t scored in six games, his impact on the team goes beyond just his goal tally. Arsenal are going for broke trying to win the Premier League and take home the Champions League trophy. Gyokeres has established himself as a key player, displaying his newfound 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙨 tactics.
Gyokeres In just over four years since joining Arsenal, Gyokeres has changed his game. He can now strain the opposition’s back four in ways the team had never dreamed of. Because he’s constantly making runs into the right channel, that removes defenders to create chances. This strategy leaves big gaps for his teammates to exploit, enabling Arsenal to play a dangerous brand of attack.
Regardless of his lack of goal output, Gyokeres is an on-ball and off-ball threat that provides value. He’s always stretching opposing defenses, putting them in trouble. His passing ability opens up big chances for his teammates. Sweden’s former national team manager Jon Dahl Tomasson noted that Gyokeres made some of the best channel runs he had ever seen. He’s convinced that Gyokeres is one of the best in the world at it.
Arsenal’s coaching staff and players recognize the importance of Gyokeres’ tactical contributions. Mikel Arteta highlighted his ability to create space: “The way he stretches the back four and the spaces he opens is crucial for our game.” Bukayo Saka emphasized Gyokeres’ impact on the team’s overall performance: “He’s a big part of the reason why we’re winning these games.”
Gyokeres’s biggest hurdle is that defenders gang up on him. This season, he’s been on the receiving end of the most fouls of any player in the Premier League. This kind of focus can be maddening for a striker who, by nature, excels at looking for half-chances to put in the back of the net. Adi Viveash, Coventry’s former assistant manager, noted that Gyokeres would become “a little bit edgy” after going several games without a goal.
In spite of these challenges, Gyokeres’ pressing stats are surprisingly prolific. He beats his Arsenal teammate Kai Havertz in this category. Even in games where his scoring touch might have deserted him, there was evidence on the field that he is deserving of lofty expectations. His elite ability to wall off defenders generates scoring chances for his teammates. For instance, he professionally peeled off both West Ham centre-backs to create the space which allowed Eberechi Eze to set up Declan Rice’s first goal.
Arsenal’s success this season cannot be solely attributed to Gyokeres’ goal-scoring ability. His strike rate of three goals in ten appearances across all competitions isn’t too alarming. That’s not to mention that the victorious team has just eight matches! As the side pushes to reach the playoffs, Gyokeres’ importance to their deep run is made quickly apparent.
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