How Two Strategic Changes Helped Arsenal Unleash Viktor Gyokeres' Potential
A brace in his second match for the club against Leeds was a promising start, but a quiet run of performances followed.
Gyokeres then looked brilliant for 45 minutes at Turf Moor in November, only to have his momentum halted by a hamstring injury.
Upon his return, Gyokeres managed just one goal in ten appearances, a penalty against Everton, raising major doubts about his contributions to the Arsenal team.
However, now he is on his best run of form for the Gunners, with his brace in Saturday's 3-0 win over Sunderland taking him to six goals in eight matches.
Despite his stoic demeanor, Arteta noted that Gyokeres' emotions are difficult to decipher.
It's too soon to declare Gyokeres as the key to Arsenal's Premier League title, but he's showing signs of the form that convinced Arsenal to spend £64 million last summer.
Arteta attributed the change in his use of Gyokeres to moments when the game opened up and more support around him.
Space and support have been the two key factors in Arsenal getting the best out of Gyokeres.
The 27-year-old prefers starting matches, but using him more off the bench has played to his strengths.
Against Inter Milan, Gyokeres was brought on when the hosts were chasing the match, ensuring he didn't face the low block he's encountered this season.
With half the pitch to himself, Gyokeres capitalized on Gabriel Martinelli's pass, finishing superbly.
On Saturday, Martinelli and Gyokeres combined again in the closing seconds. Sunderland committed players up the pitch, allowing Martinelli to burst through and square for Gyokeres to finish.
While Arsenal didn't sign Gyokeres as a super sub, he's looked more dangerous in that role than when starting.
Providing him with more support has also made a difference, with Kai Havertz's return from injury crucial.
Havertz, rather than replacing Gyokeres as the starting striker, has played in midfield, effectively acting as a second striker, bursting into the box and making runs beyond Gyokeres.
This contrasts with Martin Odegaard, who prefers dropping deep to receive the ball and control the match, often leaving Gyokeres isolated.
Havertz has set up Gyokeres for two goals in the last four matches, while Odegaard has yet to assist the Swede this season, indicating a lack of natural fit.
With Havertz's playmaking and contributions to Arsenal's attacks, Gyokeres has been left to focus on scoring goals.
On Saturday, Havertz rolled the ball into Gyokeres' path for his first goal, an emphatic strike at the near post, showcasing the confident striker Arsenal signed.
Gyokeres now has more goals across all competitions in 2023 than any Premier League player, and Arsenal finding more solutions up front bodes ominously for their title rivals.
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