Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has hit back at criticism of his performance in Sweden's dominant 5-1 victory over Tunisia at the World Cup, defending his contribution in the Group F opener.
Graham Potter's side endured a nightmare qualification campaign, failing to win a single game in their group, but secured their spot in the tournament via a Nations League play-off. Their struggles were firmly behind them in Monterrey as they thrashed Tunisia to get off to a dream start.
Yasin Ayarai scored twice, with Alexander Isak, Gyokeres and Mattias Svanberg also on target. Tougher tests await against Netherlands and Japan, but confidence is high after the emphatic win.
Gyokeres responds to pundit's criticism
Former Sweden midfielder turned pundit Martin Aslund criticised the Arsenal forward during the match, posting on X: 'What the hell, Gyokeres. He's gotta release the ball quicker. Sure, he often has a less than great first touch that means he needs more time, but he should still be able to let it go faster in a few of those situations. Isak should've had a breakaway there.'
When the comment was put to Gyokeres after the match, he responded via Sportbladet: 'I got one assist and could have got two more. I don't know how many assists you should get in a game.'
Partnership with Isak praised
Sweden's dangerous front two of Gyokeres and Isak assisted each other against Tunisia, and Gyokeres was happy to talk up their partnership. 'It was good as usual,' he said. 'As I said earlier, we have had good cooperation before and we have good again.'
Potter, who took charge in October, praised Gyokeres' potential ahead of the tournament, noting his 21-goal season for Arsenal. 'He's obviously had a fantastic season. We want to use him to his best, try and get the most out of him. Because if we do, then he gives us a chance to win football matches. That's for sure.'
After the win, Potter added: 'I think it was a fantastic evening for us, a fantastic start. A solid performance that allowed Alex and Viktor to show their qualities, which they did. We were defensively solid, got goals from midfield and had good substitutions. I'm happy for the players. They've worked hard in recent weeks and made strides. All credit to them.'
