Victor Goqueres will be in the spotlight on Tuesday night when the Arsenal striker rejoins former club Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter-finals
Victor Gokeres will appear on Tuesday to hurt his former club (Image: AFP)
Victor Gokeres has scored a goal ahead of his mental return to Sporting Lisbon. Arsenal striker Gokeres will face his former club for the first time since his long-term move to the Emirates for £64 million last summer.
It was an ugly saga at times before the deal was finally struck, but it could mean the Sweden international could receive a warm welcome from Sporting fans. But Mikel Arteta insists Gokeres is indeed fired up and ready for a big night for him personally and an even bigger night for Arsenal.
Gökeres, 27, has had a productive two years at Sporting and will be brimming with confidence after scoring 17 goals in all competitions this season and helping Sweden reach the World Cup final after defeating Poland in the play-offs.
Gunners manager Arteta said: “So you can say those are experiences that have been poured into your veins. And there’s nothing better than getting your country into the World Cup with a goal you scored. So that still remains and will remain for the rest of his career, just like every moment he’s been here, every moment he’s been creating for us.”
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“And that’s the story he’s building and I hope tomorrow he shows a very good side of himself again. I think he’s very excited. He’s very grateful for his time here. The way he talks about the club, the players, the staff, everyone around the club. What he went through, how important that part of his journey at Sporting was.”
Arsenal beat Sporting 5-1 in the Champions League in the group stage last season, when Gokeres was playing for his old club, but he left the game after being marked by William Saliba and Gabriel. But Arteta insisted Arsenal have been eyeing Gokeres for some time and he ticks all the boxes and is now proving his worth.
There is no doubt that the former Brighton and Coventry striker has taken some time to settle in at Arsenal and is probably still at home in the highest level of football. But Arteta said Gokeres is exactly where he expected him to be and believes he can score goals and bring trophies this season.
Kai Havertz and Victor Gokeres are competing for the starting spot (Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arteta added: “Well, he’s been on our radar for a number of years, but it wasn’t until around December last year that we started seriously considering him as one of our top targets, especially with the issue with Kai Havertz.
“He became one of the main candidates and then the main candidate to be part of our club. I think the important thing is where he is and how successful the season is for us. And when you analyze his season, it will be decided in the last seven or eight weeks of the season. That’s clear.”
Arteta also revealed he had held talks with Goqueres to sign Sporting’s inside line as the Portuguese giants aim to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in their history.
Arteta believes he will face an even tougher test this time, saying: “Of course I spoke to him to understand the dynamics here, the culture, what they talked about and to get more information about them so that we can use it to our advantage. They have a lot of qualities. “Obviously what they’re doing is amazing and the record they’ve had at home is just unbelievable. So to maintain that level of performance and consistency, you have to be very good.”
Viktor Gökeres was Sweden’s hero in the international break (Image: David Aliaga/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Arsenal keeper David Raya insists his team can use the frustration of losing their last two games in the Carabao Cup final and defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup as “fuel”. Raya said: “Now that that is gone, we need to use that pain we felt after the game as fuel to get ready for the rest of the season.
“I don’t think the word is pressure. It’s an opportunity to show how good we are to win games. We’re in a really good position in both competitions. It’s the happiness that’s there that we need to enjoy over the next few months.”
“We know it’s going to be a very tough situation. They’re doing really well at home. We’re ready for it. We have to be together, be together and enjoy playing football outside. If we don’t, there’s no point. We have to focus on ourselves. This is a big opportunity.”
“Every game is an opportunity to show what kind of team we are and what we want. We have to be ourselves. This team is ready for everything.”
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