Mikel Arteta Reflects on Viktor Gyokeres‘ Goal-Scoring Challenges
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta continues to back forward Viktor Gyokeres amid the striker’s ongoing struggle to find the back of the net, expressing optimism that Gyokeres would have ended his goal drought in the recent fixture against Fulham.
Gyokeres has now gone seven straight matches without scoring for Arsenal across all competitions, a tally that extends to nine when including his appearances for the Swedish national team. Despite this, Arteta emphasized that the striker remains calm and undaunted during this difficult phase.
Arteta’s Perspective
Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham thanks to a second-half goal from Leandro Trossard. Although Gyokeres was presented with several clear scoring opportunities, he was unable to convert, leading Arteta to highlight the squad’s hope for him to regain his goal-scoring form.
“He had a couple of excellent chances today,” Arteta told Goal. “Everyone is eager for him to find the net soon. His commitment and effort for the team are outstanding, so we fully support him and trust that the goals will come.”
Viktor Gyokeres Image || Imago
Addressing Gyokeres’s extended goal drought, Arteta noted the striker’s composed and focused attitude despite the pressure mounting around him.
“He meets your gaze with complete calmness. On the pitch, he appeared on the screen, serene, and simply said, ‘It’s alright.’ That’s just his nature. His steadfast concentration on the game is something I deeply admire,” Arteta remarked.
On the other side, Fulham’s Alex Iwobi made Premier League history during the clash against his former team, Arsenal. Iwobi has now become the Nigerian player with the highest number of appearances in the league’s history.
According to official Premier League statistics, Iwobi has reached an impressive milestone of 299 matches, marking him as the first Nigerian to achieve this landmark.