Arsenal’s recent acquisition, Viktor Gyokeres, has found an unexpected ally in the form of club legend Nigel Winterburn, amidst mounting frustrations over his goal-scoring form. Winterburn has firmly stated that the Swede’s struggles in front of goal cannot be laid solely at his feet, as the team around him is still acclimating to his style of play.
Gyokeres, who took the Portuguese league by storm last season with an impressive tally of 54 goals for Sporting CP, has not replicated that form during his fledgling tenure at the Emirates. Despite opening his account with five goals in 13 appearances for Arsenal, this still pales in comparison to his astonishing 18 goals in the same number of matches during the previous campaign.
Winterburn shared his insights with *football.london*, expressing a belief that Gyokeres is not to blame for the slow start. “I don’t think it’s him [to blame]. It’s more of a case that his teammates are still figuring out his movements and how best to feed him the ball,” he remarked. Despite the current gap in Gyokeres’ desired goal tally, Winterburn is optimistic, noting, “There’s no doubt in my mind those goals will come.”
The Gunners have shown prowess in set pieces but have found it challenging to produce chances in open play, a concern reflected in the stat sheets. With Gyokeres averaging just 2.1 shots per game in the Premier League compared to 4.2 in Liga Portugal, Winterburn remains confident in the forward’s adaptability. “He looks more comfortable in recent matches, and Mikel Arteta is undoubtedly putting in the groundwork during training sessions.”
Winterburn’s comments come as a reassurance to concerned supporters, suggesting that the issue may resolve itself with time. However, Gyokeres has missed five big chances in the Premier League, shadowing his goal tally of three, pointing to room for improvement.
As the season progresses, all eyes will remain on Gyokeres, and Winterburn hints at potential concerns if the form doesn’t pick up by Christmas. For now, the focus is to support his adjustment and integration into the squad.
A deeper analysis sheds light on Gyokeres’ different setting at Arsenal, acknowledging both his role and the team dynamics in his current goal tally challenges.