Gyokeres on fire after Arsenal-Chelsea, ex-Sporting star stuns fans | OneFootball

Viktor Gyokeres was once again at the center of attention, this time due to the criticism generated after his discreet performance in the Arsenal vs. Chelsea match, in the second leg of the League Cup semi-finals. The Swedish striker failed to make his mark and ended up being substituted, paving the way for the decisive impact of Kai Havertz, who scored the only goal of the game (1-0).

The numbers of the former Sporting player help explain the discontent: just one shot, off target, two passes attempted (one failed), six lost possessions, and only one foul suffered in the few interventions he had throughout the match.

Gary Neville did not mince words during his analysis on Sky Sports: “Big difficulties for Gyokeres. Arsenal needs more from their striker, they didn’t do enough in that position,” said the former England international, highlighting the Swede’s lack of influence in Mikel Arteta’s attacking play.

Ian Wright, the legendary 'Gunners' striker, was more restrained and chose not to directly point the finger at the forward. Even so, the former England international ended up valuing the coach’s decision: “I’m very pleased that Kai came on and scored the way he did. He’s had injury problems, but he has great moments ahead of him,” he said on ITV Sport.

Wearing the Arsenal shirt, Viktor Gyokeres – valued at 70 million euros – played 31 matches: 22 in the Premier League, six in the Champions League, and three in the EFL League Cup. In the 2,024 minutes he spent on the pitch, the striker scored 11 goals and provided two assists. Luis Suárez has already admitted he intends to break the Swede’s records.

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