By common consent, Victor Gokeres had his best game in an Arsenal shirt on Sunday. With the North London derby tied at half-time, the Swedish striker scored twice in the second half to help the Gunners beat Tottenham 4-1.
His rocket-like right foot, powerful running and free hold-up play were all on display in the second half against Spurs. Mikel Arteta hailed the summer signing as “incredible”, while Gary Neville called him a “nuisance” – in a good way.
Jokeles’ brace against Spurs means he has now scored five goals in his last five Premier League games, and it’s perfect timing given that the gap at the top of the table with Manchester City has narrowed given the disappointing draws against Brentford and Wolves. But will there be more to come from Gökeres? With 15 goals in 36 games, can he lead Arsenal to their first Premier League title in 22 years?
Or is his performance against Spurs just further proof that he can only do so much against weaker teams, considering he has just added to his league goals tally for Spurs against Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley, Everton and Sunderland?
Mirror Football asked its writers to assess Arsenal’s striker and consider what could happen as Arteta’s side continue their quest in all four competitions.
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john cross
In the North London derby, Victor Gokeres was unremarkable from the first half to the second half. So anyone who thinks we should judge Gokeres based on that game doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
In the first half, they came close with one shot, but it was a game they were used to. He couldn’t hold onto the ball, looked unwieldy, and couldn’t connect with plays, let alone look like he was going to score.
Gokeres scored a screamer in the second half with his hammer shot, then scored a decisive flick in the build-up to Eberechi Eze’s second goal, and added his own in the closing stages.
Arsenal should have bought it. Have we seen enough of it? Absolutely not. If you’re an elite club with a great team and signing a striker for £64 million, you’d expect more.
His recent results and being named Arsenal’s player of the month should encourage him. And I love the fact that so many Arsenal fans continue to support him. But he still has a lot to do and prove. For those who say otherwise, remember this: Just watch the game!
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Victor Gokeres’ mask celebration was unveiled on Sunday (Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Jeremy Cross
Victor Gokore is more than capable of producing results against the best teams. He once led Josep Guardiola’s Manchester City to a clean team in the Champions League.
He has taken some time to adapt to life in the Premier League, but he is starting to show the form that has seen him succeed at Sporting Lisbon. But with a hefty price tag comes great pressure and Gyokore must continue to score more consistently if he is to stay on par with the great forwards.
He can play such an influential role in Arsenal’s title ambitions – not to mention prove all the doubters wrong.
neil mcleman
Arsenal have signed Victor Gokeres as the final piece of their title-winning team. The Gunners should still lift themselves out of the Premier League for the first time since 2004 – a draw with Manchester City on April 18 may be enough – but it’s not the Swedish striker’s fault.
He has shown in recent weeks that he can score against teams at the standard level of the Portuguese league, but not yet against top teams. Will Mikel Arteta start at the Etihad? Not if he has a fully fit team.
Gokeres isn’t a terrible player, but he’s not that great either. He’ll be a part of a title-winning team, but he’s not the game-changer expected.
Mikel Arteta is now happy with Victor Gokeres (Image: Getty Images)
Let us know what you think. What did you think of Victor Gokeres this season? Please comment below.
ben husband
Social media posts often resurface when West Ham lose a game. It read: “Fans always think their ‘system’ is finally working, when in reality they’re just playing against West Ham.” It could be about Tottenham these days, or it could be about the team’s struggling players.
Eberechi Eze didn’t have a shot on target between his hat-trick and two goals against Spurs, while Gokeres didn’t have a shot on target in a big game. This showed that the performance of the Swedish striker has improved significantly, but the fact is that he is still subject to waves of ups and downs, the latter often appearing in matches against better teams.
Arsenal face Chelsea next weekend and if he can repeat this performance, the narrative could quickly change. Until then, I remain a bit skeptical.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Victor Gokeres (Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside)
daniel ohm
Victor Gokeres is clearly a talented goalscorer. He has proven that in previous spells with Coventry City and Sporting Lisbon. He hasn’t exactly set the world on fire this season, but his 15 goals in 36 appearances so far is still respectable. Gokeres is not a player like Erling Haaland or Harry Kane, but it would be unfair to suggest that he should be.
These two are simply geniuses when it comes to the art of scoring goals. Certainly, like Kane and Haaland, Gökeres has challenges to work through. How many times have we heard that he doesn’t have enough involvement to get a hat-trick? Gökeres still has a lot to improve on his hold-up play, but there are signs he’s getting there.
Arsenal knew what they were getting in Gokeres – they signed a striker who clearly could score, but he’s not quite there yet. And that’s exactly what they have. But if he can end the season with 20 goals, that would be a very respectable debut season at the Emirates.
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