Manager Victor Gökeres wants to lead Arsenal to the Premier League title and help them win the Champions League this season, but the pressure has increased after two defeats in the domestic cup.
Mikel Arteta wants Victor Gokeres to get through tough times (Image: Oli SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Victor Gokeres admits “nerves” could derail Arsenal’s title hopes, but only if they fail to exploit them in the right way. The 27-year-old Gokeres and his teammates are nine points clear at the top of the Premier League with seven games remaining.
The Gunners are unbeaten in the Champions League and have one foot in the semi-finals thanks to a 1-0 win against Sporting Lisbon late on Tuesday. However, there is more pressure on Arsenal after their recent loss to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and last weekend’s defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been accused of playing with fear in recent weeks and Gokeres understands the nerves but believes they can be a force for good. In an exclusive interview with Football London, the striker explained:
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing if you take it the right way and direct that energy in the right direction. So I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be nervous. It’s a bad thing to translate it into something negative. It depends on how you handle that emotion.”
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After signing Gokeres from Sporting last summer in a deal worth up to £64 million, Arteta told the Sweden international he had to deal with a dry period in front of goal. “Before we met for the first time, I told him that it would be okay if he didn’t score in six or eight games, which is what I want as a No. 9,” Arteta said in October.
“If not, you have to go somewhere else because the pressure and the expectations are there. If you wear the number nine shirt at Arsenal, you have to be able to say, ‘If I don’t score in six games, am I a different player? And I start acting in a different way.’
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Victor Gokeres has scored 17 goals so far this season (Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
It’s not exactly a drought at the moment, but with five goals in his last four games for club and country, the former Coventry City star is heeding his manager’s advice. “No matter what anyone says, it’s always the best feeling to win a match and score as many goals as possible in that match. That’s the best feeling as a striker,” Gokeres said.
“I think everyone who plays for the nines wants that, but the reality is that’s not the case. There are going to be games where you don’t score, you don’t get chances, you don’t take chances.
“Stay focused and ready, because it’s going to come. And when it comes, you have to be ready.”
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