Adebayor Urges Gyokeres to Enhance Technical Skills
Emmanuel Adebayor has called on Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres to add more 'technical ability' to his game after a mixed first season in the Premier League. Gyokeres has at times flattered to deceive since his £64m move from Sporting last summer, scoring just five Premier League goals in the first half of the season. However, the Sweden international has improved his output since the new year, netting 14 goals in all competitions to help Arsenal lead the Premier League title race and reach the Champions League final.
Gyokeres Shines in Champions League
Gyokeres produced one of his best performances in an Arsenal shirt in Tuesday's Champions League semi-final win over Atletico Madrid, with England legend Alan Shearer describing his display as 'exceptional'. Mikel Arteta also singled out his summer signing for praise, calling him 'immense' after he bullied the Atletico defenders and played a part in Bukayo Saka's winning goal.
Adebayor appreciates many of Gyokeres' attributes and insists he is 'getting better' as he looks to become Arsenal's long-term No. 9. But Adebayor, who scored 62 goals in 142 games for Arsenal, admits he wants Gyokeres to bring more 'technical ability' to his game, saying that would be a 'good advantage' to the team.
Adebayor's Assessment
'Listen, I think he's a good player,' Adebayor said on talkSPORT. 'He's a good striker and a big lad who can control the ball quite well. The first time I saw him play live was the north London derby against Tottenham and I kind of liked the way he played because he's strong and ready to fight. But I think playing as a striker and for a club like Arsenal you have to add a little bit of technical ability to your game. Overall he's been good and he's scored goals, but if he can work on his first touch and his turning that would definitely be a good advantage for the club. But overall he's getting better and getting used to the Premier League, so he's doing well.'
Title Race Heats Up
Gyokeres helped Arteta's side reach their first Champions League final since 2006 just days after scoring a brace in an important 3-0 win over Fulham at the weekend. That victory – and Manchester City's thrilling 3-3 draw at Everton – means Arsenal are five points clear at the top of the Premier League heading into the final few weeks of the season.
Adebayor, who played for both clubs, says he 'would like' Arsenal to become Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years but is backing Man City to close the gap. 'If you ask me today, I will still tell you I think Man City will win it,' Adebayor added. 'But I would like Arsenal to win it. They were fighting for it even when I was there. This year, they're doing quite well. The good thing is defensively, they are very good. But now, they have to win the last three games to win the league. Man City dropping points against Everton, they will come back stronger. They will manage with their manager, the excellent team they have, they will do everything possible to win the last three games and wait for Arsenal to drop points so they can be champions. But trust me, it is not going to be an easy task for both of them. For the first time, I wish Arsenal wins it because they have been working towards this for so long.'
Arsenal face relegation-threatened London rivals West Ham on Sunday after title rivals Man City play host to Brentford.
