Mikel Arteta on Gyökeres’ struggles, blames Sporting: Left on his own | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta believes that Viktor Gyökeres was “quite protected” at Sporting. In statements to Sky Sports, the Arsenal coach addressed the crisis of the Swedish international and stated that, in Portugal, the context was ideal for the striker to shine, something that is not happening, for now, in London.

“I always do an exercise with new players. In Gyökeres' case, it was: you come to a new country. Do you speak the language? What is your family situation? Because where he was, he felt quite protected. But when he comes here, he is exposed, alone, and needs to stay five months in a hotel,” Mikel Arteta began by saying.

“Then he comes here and the schedule changes. He needs to play every three days in the most demanding league in the world, where he has never played before. Then, the system is different, the methodology is different, the teammates are different. And a number 9 needs synergy and chemistry with the other players,” added the Arsenal coach.

“Then, it’s a whole new environment, pressure, expectations. There are many factors. My judgment of a player is to understand if he is fulfilling his role. In Viktor's case? He is doing it very well. He could score more goals, but all the other aspects are extraordinary,” concluded Mikel Arteta.

This season, wearing the Arsenal shirt, Viktor Gyökeres – valued at 70 million euros – played 23 games: 18 in the Premier League, four in the Champions League, and one in the EFL League Cup. In the 1,552 minutes he was on the field, the forward, who brought in a few more million to Sporting's coffers, scored seven goals.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.