Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has offered strong public backing for his teammate Viktor Gyokeres, describing him as an "amazing player" capable of scoring goals "every time" in a recent interview. This comes as Gyokeres has faced scrutiny for his inconsistent performances since joining the Gunners in a high-profile transfer.
Arsenal's Trophy Push and Striker Concerns
Premier League leaders Arsenal are currently in a commanding position to end their six-year trophy drought this season. The north London club sits seven points clear at the top of the domestic table and maintains a perfect record in the Champions League after six matches, ahead of their crucial fixture against last season's finalists Inter Milan.
Mikel Arteta's side invested over £250 million during the summer transfer window in an ambitious attempt to transform their fortunes after three consecutive second-place finishes in the league. This substantial spending spree has generally been viewed as successful, providing Arsenal with exceptional depth and quality across nearly every position on the pitch.
The Gyokeres Conundrum at the Emirates
However, two persistent issues have emerged for the Gunners this campaign: an over-reliance on goals from set-pieces and underwhelming returns from their central strikers. Summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, in particular, has frequently found himself under the microscope following a challenging start to his Premier League career.
The Swedish international arrived from Sporting CP in July for a fee of £64 million, heralded as the marquee striker signing who could provide the decisive edge in Arsenal's title pursuit. Yet, Gyokeres has managed just five goals in 20 league appearances and eight across all competitions. While he has registered two braces against Leeds United and Atletico Madrid, he has only found the net in six separate matches this season—a stark contrast to the remarkable 54 goals in 52 games he achieved in his final year in Portugal.
Various theories have circulated regarding Gyokeres's struggles to replicate his prolific Portuguese form. Speculation has ranged from a perceived lack of service and difficulties adapting to the Premier League's intensity to questions about his suitability for Arsenal's tactical system. Despite the criticism, there remains ample time for the striker to turn his fortunes around, especially with the crucial title run-in approaching where his contributions could prove vital.
Jesus's Public Vote of Confidence
The recent return to full fitness of Arsenal's forward duo Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz has inevitably increased the competitive pressure on Gyokeres to perform or risk losing his place in the starting lineup. In a supportive gesture, Jesus used a recent interview to publicly endorse his teammate and emphasise the collective desire within the squad to help him succeed.
Jesus, who also expressed his own desire for a new contract at Arsenal, stated: "Vik is an amazing player. He's a striker who can score goals every time, at every minute."
He added, drawing on his own experiences: "I have been in the position that Vik is now, and that is not easy. But I'm sure that everyone here, not only the coach and staff, the players as well, are going to support him and give him the belief that he's here to help us. He has helped already a lot. And every game he has helped with something [aside from] sometimes not scoring, but he helped with another movement or fighting to win the game."
Jesus also praised fellow forward Kai Havertz as an "amazing player, amazing striker," while reflecting on his own challenging journey back from an 11-month injury layoff. He concluded with a reminder of the competitive ethos at the club: "In a club like Arsenal, big like this, there is no guaranteeing a spot to anyone. So we're all here to help Arsenal to try to win games and at the end of the season win trophies."
This public show of unity and support from a senior player like Jesus could provide a significant morale boost for Gyokeres as Arsenal navigate the demanding final stages of their pursuit for silverware on multiple fronts.
