Mikel Arteta has moved to defend his summer signing Viktor Gyokeres following the striker's quiet performance in Arsenal's goalless draw with Liverpool on Thursday night.
Gyokeres's anonymous Emirates outing
The Swedish international, who joined the Gunners for a fee of £64 million last summer, managed just seven touches of the ball before being substituted in the 60th minute at the Emirates Stadium. The subdued display left many Arsenal fans venting their frustration on social media, questioning the contribution of a player brought in to solve the club's long-standing centre-forward issues.
Gyokeres's statistics make for concerning reading for the league leaders. He has scored only five goals in 18 Premier League appearances and is currently on a run of 11 matches without a goal from open play. Despite this, Arsenal remain six points clear at the summit and on course for their first title since 2004.
Arteta's firm backing for his striker
Facing questions after the match, Arteta offered a robust defence of his player. He pointed to a lack of service rather than a lack of effort or positioning from Gyokeres. "He was in great positions," Arteta stated. "Sometimes the ball didn't arrive. There were situations where we got into the six-yard box that are normally a goal or you pick somebody out to score a goal. We didn't do that."
When directly asked if he believed the 27-year-old was improving, the manager gave a simple, unequivocal response: "Yes." His defence came after scathing criticism from pundits like Gary Neville, and even high-profile fan Piers Morgan described the performance as "oddly listless" and expressed worry that Gyokeres "doesn't even look like scoring".
A missed opportunity and a title charge paused
The draw with Liverpool represented a missed chance for Arsenal to extend their lead at the top to eight points, after Manchester City dropped points against Brighton the previous night. Arteta admitted his side's disappointment but praised their overall position.
"We're disappointed because we wanted to win the game," he said. "But I think the boys deserve a massive praise for what they've done in this Christmas period to get the results and the performances consistently... to come out from this period in a really strong position."
Arsenal's focus now temporarily shifts from the Premier League title race to the FA Cup, where they will face Portsmouth in the third round this weekend, before the league campaign resumes.
