‘Massive’ – BBC pundit wowed by Arsenal star who amazed his teammates vs Atletico Madrid
Mikel Arteta should be massively impressed with one of his stars, who got Arsenal firing on all cylinders against Atletico Madrid.
Bukayo Saka struggled to have his usual impact at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, 21 October, being rather wasteful with his chances in the final third, but his teammates made up for that.
Gabriel Magalhaes headed home the opener before an incredible run from Myles Lewis-Skelly helped set up Gabriel Martinelli, leaving Viktor Gyokeres to bag a brace in the final 25 minutes.
The Gunners eventually ran out 4-0 winners against Diego Simeone‘s side to take them third in the Champions League table, with Slavia Prague up next in the competition.
Viktor Gyokeres notches a brace in brilliant Champions League win
Speaking on the Football Daily podcast (22 October), BBC Sport pundit Glenn Murray was seriously impressed by what he saw from Gyokeres after a slow start to life in North London.
“I was really impressed by Viktor Gyokeres’ attitude. You can feel the Arsenal fans willing him to do well here. He was closing down. He was a real catalyst,” he said.
“When you’re a midfield player and you see your forward player closing down with that intensity, it drags you along at times, and he did that.
“But he added goals to his game, and that was massive. They weren’t pretty, but it doesn’t matter. It hit the back of the net and gave him that confidence.“
Gyokeres’ appearance in numbers vs Atletico Madrid
Gyokeres scored a brace against Leeds United back in August, but his performances have stalled since then, with supporters expecting more from their £55million signing.
Against Atletico, though, he hit the back of the net twice, remained a constant link-up for his teammates, even missed a big chance, and battled away in the final third.
| Viktor Gyokeres vs Atletico Madrid | Stats [FotMob] |
| Minutes played | 83 |
| Shots on target | 100% (3/3) |
| Big chances missed | 1 |
| Ground duels won | 67% (4/6) |
| Was fouled | 4 |
He was also fouled the most times of any player at the Emirates, causing constant issues for the opposition defenders throughout his 83 minutes on the pitch.
Both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus remain sidelined, so it is important for the Sweden international to find his shooting boots. After Tuesday night, fans will want to see more consistency.