5 passes, 0 shots: Mikel Arteta poised to drop 9-touch Arsenal star vs Sunderland after UCL display - opinion
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has an easy decision to make on striker Viktor Gyokeres following a lacklustre performance against Napoli in the Champions League.
The Gunners continued their fine start to the season with a 1-0 win over Napoli. They were undoubtedly the best team on the night and deserved to win by more goals.
The Premier League holders squandered several big chances. They missed six golden scoring opportunities but still won after Martin Odegaard’s wonder strike.
Manager Mikel Arteta made four changes for last night’s game in Naples. Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres were picked in the final third, but neither made a significant contribution.
Eze has played second fiddle to Christos Tzolis for the left-wing position this term, and that looks set to continue after the Greek provided his fourth assist of the season, coming off the bench.
Meanwhile, Gyokeres had the chance to prove that he is worthy of a starting position ahead of Kai Havertz, who has begun the season splendidly with three goals from five appearances.
However, the Swede was barely involved in the game with just five passes and nine touches in 66 minutes. He produced one fine moment as Bukayo Saka tried to score with an overhead kick.
Gyokeres netted 21 goals for the Gunners last term as they finished the season on a high with Premier League glory. He lost his starting spot to a fully fit Havertz towards the end of the campaign, and there is no sign that could change in the league in the near future.
Havertz has been in a rich vein of scoring form with five goals in his last six starts for Arsenal in all competitions. The German has fully justified his selection upfront, and Gyokeres simply failed to do enough yesterday to prove he is worthy of a starting league role.
Arsenal were completely dominant yesterday, with 25 shots on goal, and should have won 4-0 or 5-0 given the chances they created. Despite this, Gyokeres did not manage a single scoring attempt.
It genuinely appears his confidence has taken a hit, having played just 16 minutes of league football since the start of the season. Hopefully, he can revive his form as the season progresses.
Arsenal take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in their next league fixture on Saturday evening. Arteta has an easy decision to make upfront. He looks poised to drop Gyokeres for Havertz.
Stats from Sofascore.com
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