Shay Given picks out the Viktor Gyokeres moment he ‘loved’ vs Tottenham, it wasn’t his goals
Shay Given was full of praise for Viktor Gyokeres after he enjoyed a stunning performance in the North London derby on Sunday.
The striker netted twice as Arsenal beat Tottenham 4-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, restoring their advantage over Man City to five points at the top of the table.
Eberechi Eze tormented the Lilywhites with a hat-trick when the sides met in November, and he was at it again, scoring the opener before adding his second later in the game.
Declan Rice’s mistake had allowed Randal Kolo Muani to make it 1-1 before the break, but Gyokeres‘ wonderfully struck shot flew past Guglielmo Vicario at the start of the second half to restore the lead.
The Swede has taken massive criticism for much of the season following his summer arrival from Sporting CP, but he has looked like a player reborn since the turn of the year.
Shay Given was impressed by this Viktor Gyokeres moment
It was easy to tell that Gyokeres was feeling confident when he took on Radu Dragusin on the edge of the box in the opening minutes before flashing a venomous strike just wide.
That was a warning sign for Tottenham, and they were punished after half-time when the striker was left in space on the edge of the box.
Found by Jurrien Timber, the 27-year-old took one touch to set himself, and with the next, smashed the ball past Vicario.
| Viktor Gyokeres | Vs Tottenham |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Successful dribbles | 1 |
| Recoveries | 4 |
| Duels won | 5/11 |
There was power in his second goal, too, along with superb composure and intelligence.
A well-timed run was found by Martin Odegaard, with Gyokeres holding off the challenge of Archie Gray before finishing brilliantly past Vicario.
It was a different stoppage-time moment that Given loved, however. The Sweden international chased a long ball from Declan Rice, putting Dragusin under pressure and eventually shielding the ball out of play to earn Arsenal a throw-in deep in Tottenham territory.
“This is what I loved as well,” Given told BBC Match of the Day on Sunday. “Tottenham put a high press on them, you want your centre-forward down that side, chasing lost causes at times.
“You see [Mikel] Arteta, he’s happy with his centre-forward.” The Arsenal boss could be seen clapping as the ball went out of play.
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What Mikel Arteta said about Gyokeres
Many were highly critical of Gyokeres’ performance as Arsenal drew with Wolves on Wednesday, but he answered the doubters on Sunday.
The Swede’s best form appears to have come just in time for the run-in for the Premier League title, and displays like Sunday’s will not hurt the Gunners’ chances.
“I think it’s probably the best game that he [Gyokeres] has played for us,” Arteta said after the game.
“The most complete of the two goals by his overall performance, I think, was incredible.”