Former professional footballer, Ian Wright, has raised questions about Mikel Arteta's summer signing Viktor Gyokeres following a goalless draw between Arsenal and Liverpool.
The Gunners had hoped to capitalize on Manchester City's recent stumble in the title race by defeating Liverpool and securing an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League. However, they fell short of their best performance at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night, resulting in a 0-0 draw.
Arne Slot conceded before the match that Liverpool were already out of contention for the title. Despite this admission, his defending champions narrowly outperformed Arsenal in north London.
Struggles with creating chances
Arsenal found it challenging to create clear-cut opportunities during this match. Their £64m summer signing Gyokeres only managed eight touches before being substituted off with half an hour remaining.
Gyokeres was anticipated to be a prolific striker for Arsenal after scoring nearly a goal per game for his former club - Portuguese champions Sporting. However, since joining The Gunners, he has scored just five goals in 18 Premier League games and hasn't netted from open play since November 1st. Wright suggested that given the significant investment made by Arsenal to secure him, Gyokeres should have been more effective at converting chances into goals.
Ian Wright, Arsenal legend, said:
‘You have to credit Liverpool for their second-half performance, but in the first half, Arsenal created enough chances and got the ball in the box enough that meant you have to take an opportunity. You have to take those opportunities because you might not get too many more. Liverpool had the better chances in the second half but it’s another one for Arsenal to learn from.
‘I am happy they got a point rather than nothing, it was a tough game and it means they’re still in pole position [in the title race]. But you have to be more ruthless in the first half with the chances you’re creating. If they score those chances there’s no nerves in the second half. You have to take those chances and finish teams off.
‘The closing down wasn’t there in the second half. As soon as Liverpool got the ball we dropped off. That wasn’t working very well. The subs could have been made a bit earlier to get a bit more energy. I would have liked to have seen Jesus earlier and Madueke a bit earlier as well to get a bit more pace, a bit more buzz into the game. We looked like a team that wanted to finish it in the second half, you could feel nerves. There was some nerves there, they didn’t want to lose the game. But the attitude you’ve got to have is to win games and then if you don’t you take the point, but we can’t be safe and we felt a bit safe and nervous there.’
The former England striker also opined that Arteta should have replaced Gyokeres sooner than he did during this match. He praised Gabriel Jesus' 'pace' and 'buzz', which became evident after his introduction from the bench as a substitute player.
Still leading despite draw
Despite failing to defeat Liverpool twice this season now, The Gunners still managed to extend their lead at the top of Premier League standings by six points following this draw.
Arsenal, who last won the Premier League in 2004, will be putting their title charge on hold this weekend as they face Portsmouth in the FA Cup.
While Arsenal remains at the top of the league despite recent performance issues, questions are being raised about their summer signing Gyokeres. His lack of goal-scoring prowess is a concern for fans and former players alike. It remains to be seen how Arteta will address these concerns moving forward.
