Unused in the Premier League and almost replaced in the transfer market, Viktor Gyokeres' Arsenal career is at a crossroads. But this is why you'd be foolish to write him off

The career of Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres has reached a crossroads. Even he, a man with a piercing gaze and fierce determination, has been unable to hide his unease of late.

An image of a forlorn Gyokeres arriving at Arsenal’s London Colney training base on Thursday was widely circulated online.

Clutching a black washbag, his demeanour spoke of a man lingering on the outside, searching for a way into Mikel Arteta’s first XI plans.

A more telling example of his frustration came in a pre-season friendly away in Girona last month, when he screamed ‘Max!’ at Max Dowman for failing to pass to him.

Gyokeres is in uncharted territory, more generally. The Swede has not played a single minute in either of Arsenal’s two league matches thus far, against Coventry and Aston Villa.

Villa away, for example, seemed tailor-made for the introduction of the 28-year-old in the second period, Kai Havertz having underwhelmed and with the opposition backline flagging.