It felt like it was bitter. Ben White crossed and Victor Gyoceres slotted the ball into the goal from close range. Both men were colleagues and coaches in Brighton’s youth team. Liam Rossineer.
But this was no mere friendly reunion. Today might be the day that Gyocerres really shows his worth, as Rosenior’s goal and assist helped Arsenal to a 3-2 win over Chelsea in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Gyokeres’ goal was a tap-in with the goal wide open and his assist for Martin Zubimendi looked like a simple film. But there was more to it than that, both men had one thing in common: he was surrounded by players.
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A key moment as Victor Gyokeres saved an error by the Chelsea goalkeeper to double Arsenal’s lead.
For his goal, two Chelsea players were stretching towards the ball as he bundled it home. For Zuvimendi’s goal, the Spaniard had space to finish as the Arsenal centre-forward drew three players around him before laying the ball down.
It was yet another reminder that Gyokeres is a Premier League player who gives defenders the least amount of space. But this could be a performance that shows the Swedish forward is finally rising to the challenge of Arsenal.
Victor Gyokeres has far less room to operate than any other Premier League player.
Gyokeres’ biggest advantage this season is recruiting defenders. The fact that two of Arsenal’s three goals came from open play crosses did not go unnoticed.
Creating space for Kroos and other key attackers is a skill that Mikel Arteta values most, as he continues to select him. In an Arsenal team that has barely played with a natural centre-forward over the last three seasons.
After the Chelsea game, Gyocerres’ Arteta said, “It’s always expected to score and we demand more,” adding, “It was a really good performance.” “Viktor was outstanding in many areas.
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Mikel Arteta reflected on Arsenal’s fine win in an interview with Sky Sports but admitted it could have been better.
“He brings a lot to the team. I understand that sometimes people can’t appreciate it. We certainly do that and besides, he has been rewarded with goals.”
Amidst the noise surrounding his lack of goals, there were signs beneath the surface that Gyokeres was starting to offer more.
It was seen in the first half at Stamford Bridge as well, when the Swede saw a deflected shot roll away from a defender and past the far corner.
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Jamie Redknapp and Jimie Floyd Hasselbaink discuss whether Viktor Gyokeres should have been ruled out for offside in the Carabao Cup semi-final opener against Chelsea after Antoine Semenyo had a goal disallowed against Newcastle.
In another 3-2 away win – this time at Bournemouth – Gyoceres occupied several defenders after chasing Gabriel Martinelli’s flick-on. The defenders were dragged away and Declan Rice remained on the edge of the box to score Martin Odegaard’s shot for his first goal of the night.
Rice recognized this: “If he hadn’t run in from Gabi’s (Martinelli’s) flick, grabbed it and set it up for Martin, our game-changing goal wouldn’t have happened.
“I see this guy every day. I see the way he finishes, how hard he hits the ball. If the space gets to him and the ball gets to his feet to score, he will score 100%.
“But defenders in the Premier League want to be able to stop Victor Gyocerres because he is one of the best strikers in the world. When you play with the best players, you naturally want to be able to stop him.”
“It’s difficult for him because there are two defenders the whole game, so he has to use his strength or whatever he can to help the team.
“Trust me, he does an incredible amount for us. We wouldn’t be where we are without him.”
So perhaps this is the beginning of a brighter period for Gyokeresu. But there is still work to be done. Consistency is key. We’ve been here with the Arsenal striker before.
Gyoceres scored twice against Atlético Madrid and another against Burnley 10 days later, but struggled thereafter. He won a confidence-boosting penalty at Everton.
“Of course his best ability is to put the ball in the back of the net, but he was in that position several times today,” Arteta said. A few more goals in the upcoming games could help Kyokeres escape all the negative tags they have received recently.
