Victor Gokeres scored Arsenal’s first goal in Saturday’s Premier League match against Burnley, but was forced off with an injury at half-time.
Manager Mikel Arteta has said Victor Gokeres will undergo tests to determine the severity of the muscle injury that caused him to suffer the injury against Burnley.
Gokeres scored in the 14th minute, heading in Gabriel Magalhães’ flick from a corner kick. The Swede impressed at Turf Moor and played a key role in the development of Declan Rice’s attack in the second half of the opening half.
However, after an incredible 45 minutes, Gokeres did not reappear in the second period and was replaced by Mikel Merino. “The first half was one of the best he’s ever played with us,” Arteta said after the game. “He felt something muscular, so we’ll have to wait to find out the extent of it.”
Gokeres’ injury led to him being replaced by Merino, but Martin Zvimendi was also taken off midway through the second half after receiving treatment, which could have been a further blow for the Gunners.
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Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson said on Sky Sports: “The only worry for Arsenal was that Arsenal seemed to have a completely different look when Victor Gokeres was sent off.”
“They are far from the same team. Mikel Merino came on and set up the play well, but they didn’t come on the pitch and pose a threat in the second half.
“They’re a well-oiled machine and they’ve got a lot of talent in that machine, which is very rare. They’re an efficient machine, but they’ve got a lot of talent. It’s not a good cocktail for anyone else.”
These were the only negatives on an otherwise perfect afternoon for Arteta’s side. Tottenham currently sit seven points clear at the top of the league when they face Chelsea at 5.30pm.
“They lose probably once every 18 months. We knew it was going to be a tough game so we had to stick to our principles,” Rice told Sky Sports. “Our quality showed and we could have scored four or five in the first half. It’s important that we keep scoring goals. Two goals is perfect for us.”
“If you look at the second goal in general, we defended long throws from our own half. Big Gabby won the ball and I just kept running with it, just like a traditional No. 9!”
Gökeres has scored seven goals in 14 games for Arsenal since joining from Sporting Lisbon in a £58m deal in the summer. The Swede is leading the line well in the absence of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz due to injury.
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