Arsenal: Mikel Arteta sends Viktor Gyokeres message as striker looks to end scoring drought | OneFootball

Summer signing has not scored for his new club for a month

Dry spell: Viktor Gyokeres

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has “full confidence” in Viktor Gyokeres and believes the striker can cope with the pressure of his goal drought.

Arteta, however, has given the striker his backing ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Fulham on Saturday.

The Spaniard is convinced Gyokeres can handle the heat and he is still offering the team lots, even during his dry spell.

“I want much more of the same of what he's doing. Once we have those opportunities, put them [in the goal], I’m sure it’s going to happen.”

Gyokeres is experiencing his worst goal drought since the 2021-22 season, when he went 16 games without a goal for Coventry or Sweden.

The striker developed into a lethal finisher after that barren run, scoring 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting before joining Arsenal.

Arteta believes that Gyokeres’ previous struggles will help him rediscover his best form now.

“Going back in his history as well with Viktor, it’s a very different one,” he said. “The beginning, and when he wasn't even playing much, and then how he evolved his career.

“Then in the last year, it was very difficult to find a gap of that (not scoring), because I think he scored in every single match almost.

“But just preparing something, the context is going to change. It’s part of football. You see the history of the No9s. You’re going to have moments like that.

“Hopefully, it’s through playing [that the drought ends], not that you don’t even have the option to play, and you are injured, so his robustness is something really good.

“I am really happy with him - full confidence - and when you look at him every single day, how much he wants it, that is exactly what you expect.

“The first thing is that (a striker’s goalscoring record), that’s going to give you something extra. Viktor adds so many things, that probably are not noticeable.

“But as well, he creates environment and space and solutions to a lot of the players around him. With the talent that we have in the team, I am sure that everybody, him included, will benefit from that.”