Viktor Gyokeres has demons to conquer as Nick Pope could be given nod in Arsenal vs Newcastle
Viktor Gyokeres will be licking his lips at the prospect of going head-to-head with Nick Pope ahead of Arsenal's clash with Newcastle United.
The Swedish international has 18 goals and two assists in his debut campaign with the Gunners, yet has faced a lot of criticism from outside of the Emirates Stadium.
With Mikel Arteta's side facing their first real blow in the Premier League title race, Gyokeres can quieten a lot of the outside noise when they welcome the Magpies to North London on Saturday, 25 April.
Arsenal will be desperate to beat Newcastle at the weekend, but more than that, Gyokeres has personal demons to overcome after his prior meeting with Eddie Howe's side earlier this season.
Viktor Gyokeres to put his nightmares to bed vs Newcastle United
Gyokeres thought he had won an early penalty during the clash back in September, beating Pope to the ball before being taken down inside the penalty area.
However, following a VAR review of the incident, St James' Park erupted, with Jarred Gillett deciding to overturn the decision, with Nick Woltemade taking full advantage just 20 minutes later.
Although the Gunners eventually secured all three points via goals from Gabriel Magalhaes and Mikel Merino, the striker's missed chance in the first half is likely to still haunt him ahead of this game.
| Viktor Gyokeres vs Newcastle in reverse fixture | Stats [FotMob] |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Chances created | 2 |
| Accurate passes | 62% (8/13) |
| Shot accuracy | 17% (1/6) |
| Successful dribbles | 33% (1/3) |
| Ground duels won | 40% (2/5) |
| Aerial duels won | 11% (1/9) |
Luckily for the summer signing, it appears that he'll have the perfect opportunity to put those demons to bed, with the Daily Mail reporting that Pope has earned his way back into the starting lineup.
Arsenal vs Newcastle likely to be a sliding-doors moment
It would have been a monumental moment for Aaron Ramsdale, who has taken the starting gloves at St James' Park in recent weeks, but Pope has been pushing hard to be restored to the lineup.
The goalkeeper selection could be the difference in the result this weekend. Gyokeres' personal vendetta against Pope should help the Gunners to get over the line.
Arteta is facing serious pressure at Arsenal to win silverware this season, and should his team come up short once again, it remains to be seen what his future holds in North London.
Gyokeres was one of his several summer additions, and they all appeared to be working in tandem. Now, however, the pendulum has swung back in Man City's favour, with the Gunners now desperate to beat Newcastle.