Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed confidence in Viktor Gyökeres elevating his performance in the latter half of the season.
The 27-year-old forward has netted only six goals in 19 matches across all competitions, facing criticism for his lackluster performance during Saturday’s 2-1 victory against Wolves.
Before Saturday’s clash with Everton, Arteta was asked for his thoughts on Gyökeres’ initial months at the club after his €73 million ($85.5 million) transfer from Sporting Lisbon last summer.
“The level of scrutiny on him has remained consistent since his arrival,” Arteta stated. “That’s to be expected. There was considerable enthusiasm around signing a striker. We secured a player with an impressive goal-scoring history, but he needed time to adjust to the league and didn’t have a preseason.”
“The early weeks were challenging as he wasn’t at his best physically, which is crucial for a player in this league. Then he showed improvement, but an injury set him back,” Arteta added.
“I noticed many positive aspects in his last two performances. We need to continue refining our understanding of him in specific situations, and he must do the same. However, this takes time, and we are fully supportive of him.”
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When asked if the best is yet to come from Gyökeres, Arteta affirmed, “I believe so. The expectation of performing at a major club is significant, and it can be overwhelming.”
“However, experiencing it is different from simply imagining it. He approaches it with great enthusiasm. His energy and commitment are exceptional, and we are all here to assist him because we’ve all faced similar situations. Every striker has patches of scoring more or less, and we need to support him through this.”
Arteta confirmed that Ben White will miss “a few games” due to a hamstring injury, while Gabriel Magalhães is “working hard” to make a swift return from a groin issue.
Kai Havertz is also closing in on a comeback from a knee injury, though Arteta declined to specify a target date for his return.
“I prefer not to set a date, especially after a lengthy rehabilitation process. It’s important to proceed with caution and ensure that when he returns, he is back for the long term,” Arteta commented. “He has made good progress in recent weeks, and we are optimistic that if this continues in the upcoming training sessions, he will rejoin the squad soon.”