Arsenal head into their clash with Leeds amid concerns over team chemistry, as questions have been raised about one squad member’s integration.
Mikel Arteta may need to address trust issues within the lineup to ensure cohesion and momentum in their Premier League campaign. ..Continue Reading
Troy Deeney has expressed confidence that Viktor Gyokeres will find the net for Arsenal against Leeds this weekend, though he noted signs of disconnect between the striker and his teammates during Gyokeres’ Premier League debut.
Arsenal secured Gyokeres’ signature despite fierce interest from Manchester United, following his extraordinary run at Sporting where he netted 97 goals in 102 appearances.
Thrown into the starting lineup at Old Trafford, Gyokeres appeared isolated in attack and was substituted for Kai Havertz after 60 minutes, having failed to register a shot in Arsenal’s narrow 1-0 victory.
Supporters have long called for a traditional centre-forward, and many believe Gyokeres could be the final piece needed to propel Arsenal to a long-awaited league title.
With his transfer potentially reaching £64 million, expectations are already mounting for the Swedish forward to make an immediate impact ahead of Saturday’s fixture.
And with Havertz now facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to a knee injury, the pressure on Arsenal’s marquee summer signing to step up has intensified.
‘I’m not going to kill him after one game because that’s unfair, but what I saw was a lack of trust from his team-mates to him,’ ex-Watford captain Deeney said of Gyokeres’ performance against United on The Football Exchange podcast.
‘There was a moment in the first half where they break away and [Gabriel] Martinelli is running and he [Gyokeres] does two runs and both runs made it more difficult for the person on the ball. He didn’t go, “Right, let’s assess this.”
‘As a striker when we counter-attack, when you’re the furthest forward what you naturally do is go wide to spread the defenders that are there and then try to make your darting run because you’ve made the space and now you’re trying to attack the space.
‘Both times he ran into the space, stopped, and then re-ran into the space and Martinelli was poor on the day as well and put it out of play.’
Although Deeney was initially skeptical about Gyokeres, he feels that scoring against Leeds could be a major boost for the striker’s self-belief.
Still, the ex-Watford captain thinks Arteta might consider benching the Swede if the team shows greater fluidity and effectiveness in his absence.
He added: ‘Listen, I think he’s going to score goals. They’re going to have to start him again against Leeds because you’d expect them to beat Leeds comfortably, it’s at home.
‘You’d expect him to score in that game and hopefully get his confidence upand off to the races.
‘But if they don’t… because they were better when Havertz came on towards the end.
He continued: ‘I think Kai’s a better footballer and he was able to understand: “We’re under pressure so I need to come short and look after the ball…”
‘Arteta is saying that they’re going to have to change their style because of what Gyokeres brings. He’s a bit like [Erling] Haaland in the sense that he wants to go in behind, he’s more of a poacher than an all-round footballer.
‘I think he [Gyokeres] needs to understand and get better. The problem I have with it and I spoke to a few lads who played in and around my generation, when we played you had to be decent at everything but have a super-strength.
‘You look at the strikers now and they’ve got a super-strength and then the rest of the team picks up.
‘[Alexander] Isak is the only one, in my opinion, who is very good at everything. You can’t really find a flaw in him.’