Arsenal players appreciate Gyokeres - Arteta
- Published
After three goals in his first four matches, £64m signing Viktor Gyokeres failed to find the net in Arsenal's next seven games and looked visibly frustrated at times.
After his second goal against Atletico Madrid, Gyokeres was pushed forward by his team-mates to take the adulation of the crowd and perform his trademark celebration on his own in a show of togetherness from the Arsenal squad.
Boss Mikel Arteta said the gesture demonstrated the appreciation other players have for how Gyokeres has improved Arsenal.
"All of us [appreciate Gyokeres] because he makes us a much better team. I think we've become much more unpredictable," Arteta said.
"He's so physical, opens the spaces for everyone. The way he presses the ball and holds the ball is just phenomenal.
"And then the icing on the cake and the biggest thing that we're going to debate about him is goals.
"He's scored two very different ones, and hopefully he starts to get some momentum and a good run of goals."
The 27-year-old has had to play more than was planned at this stage of the season because of a knee injury to Kai Havertz, featuring for 90 minutes seven times in Arsenal's opening 12 matches.
But after finding his clinical touch again in the thumping win over Atletico on Tuesday, Gyokeres' tally now stands at five goals in 12 matches and his manager clearly believes the strikes were reward for his persistence.