Victor Goqueres has failed to live up to the hype in an Arsenal shirt, but Mikel Arteta has a big task to replace his first choice number nine with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus fit.
To avoid any division of opinion, they brought in Victor Gokeres to score the goal. But sadly, Gokeres has left Arsenal with a huge dilemma in their bid to win the title.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will have to decide whether to keep Gokeres in charge starting with Tuesday night’s clash with third-placed Aston Villa. Or they could change things up and go with Gabriel Jesus, who has looked sharp and ready since returning from a long-term knee injury.
Kai Havertz has also returned to training, rejoining the squad after four months out injured. Arsenal suddenly have a real option to ease the expectations and burden on Gokeres, who has scored just five Premier League goals since joining from Sporting Lisbon for £64m in the summer.
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But it’s no longer about goals. It’s about his performance, which has seriously shaken his confidence, and the missed opportunities. After a slow start, Gokeres appeared to be on the upswing, scoring against Burnley and leading the line, but his run was interrupted by an injury in early November.
Since his return, he has seemed heavy, clumsy, and unwieldy. He had an early chance against Brighton on Saturday, but he meekly flicked it home to the keeper. That summed it all up.
He doesn’t get enough touches and is a goal threat, sometimes making it look as if Arsenal are playing with 10 men. He just doesn’t have the skills and technique of his teammates.
The signing of Gokeres was a hot topic, with sporting director Andrea Berta also supporting the move, as he scored goals in the Portuguese league. Yes, he did well in the Champions League and that was probably the better barometer.
But the Swedish players need to perform week in and week out. Berta is undoubtedly ‘Arteta’s man’ and it would be wrong to say that signing Gokeres was anything but a universal decision.
And a big factor in that decision is his work rate. He runs hard, shuts down defenders, and fans appreciate that he really makes a difference. That’s why supporters are still divided on him and why many really support him.
Moreover, the atmosphere from the dressing room was one of appreciation for the way he created space for the team and created openings for others. The other players like him.
But this is also about the here and now. It’s easy to forget how good Jesus is. He was a game-changing signing for Arteta. Signed for £50 million from Manchester City, he was a key player.
He has been plagued by injuries recently, but has made a successful comeback. Certainly this time it was against Villa and the runs on the wing. He seems to be gaining speed. His technique is very good, he holds the ball well and looks very sharp.
Havertz’s achievements in terms of pressing, goals, technique and skill will undoubtedly make him Arteta’s number one in the long term.
But for now, Arteta has to make the most difficult decision regarding Gokeres. Getting him back fit and playing is not an option, and Arsenal can’t afford that.
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