Victor Goqueres has broken the 20-goal barrier in his first season at Arsenal, with the Gunners striker in prime form at the perfect time of the season.
Arsenal striker Victor Gokeres speaks to the media
Victor Gokeres finally has the chance to score, but his real goal is the trophy.
Gökeres has scored 21 goals in all competitions and has been involved in 17 goals since the start of the year, continuing his form towards the end of the season.
The Arsenal striker hit a shot on target in the first leg against Atletico Madrid and scored twice against Fulham last Saturday, continuing his best form since arriving for £64m last summer.
But even though Gokeres is starting to win over some skeptics, he is far more concerned about actually winning the major prize as Premier League leaders Arsenal prepare for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Emirates.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta has already told his players that they can “define the history of the club” and that, more than personal accolades, is Gokeres’ driving force.
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The 27-year-old Gokeres said: “Sure, you want to score goals and it’s good to achieve them. But the most important thing is coming up this month, so yeah, we have to do our job and see where it gets us.”
“I think we’re in this position for a reason. We’ve done very well all season, but of course we have games coming up and we need to do well in those games to get over the line. What we’ve done so far has been incredible, but we have to do it now.”
“It would be a great feeling to achieve that, but also to experience the position we’re in. It’s great to be able to play a game like this.
“We feel good in the locker room. We’re all very excited for all the upcoming games, so it’s important that we prepare well to show that energy on the pitch.”
Victor Gokeres scores his 20th and 21st goals of the season (Image: Getty Images)
Gökeres’ batting form also coincided with his hat-trick in the semi-final against Ukraine and his dramatic late win in the play-off final against Poland, helping Sweden reach the World Cup finals.
Being a national hero probably gives you extra confidence, and that belief now runs through his veins. He was signed as a 20-goal-a-season striker, which Arsenal needed, but was reluctant to talk about his goals.
“Yeah, I was going to do that for my country and contribute while I was playing for my country and to get to the World Cup, especially our qualification was unbelievable and it was great to achieve that and be a part of it,” he said.
“Of course it’s great and of course it gives us a lot of confidence. But like I said, I think it depends on the upcoming games. After that we can talk about goals.”
Gokeres is known among his teammates for having an incredible mindset, an unwavering belief, but it’s safe to say there were doubts along the way.
He also scored in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Atletico (Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
His hold-up play doesn’t always look fast and he has been unscrupulously compared to other strikers like Alexander Isak, Joao Pedro and Hugo Ekitike. But Gokeres spoke of the advice Mikel Arteta gave him about the challenges of adapting to English football before signing for the club.
“For me, I try not to think about it too much. I’m ready and when I get a chance to play, I’ll want to prove myself and do well.”
“I think I’ve done it before (running to be the top scorer) and of course I want to do it. Any player gets better when he has confidence. Of course, it’s important to keep moving forward with football no matter what happens. You have to go again and again. There are a lot of games. There are a lot of games.”
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“The biggest challenge is adapting and coming into a new normal and a new country. Everything in life has changed, so to adapt to that you have to adapt quickly and prepare for all the challenges that are going to come. That’s the biggest thing.
“There are always challenges throughout the season. We have to deal with them in the best possible way and do better than the next game. That is a very important part.”
Gokeres’ penalty in the first leg was the reason for this draw. He has now converted 27 consecutive penalties. He’s very reserved, has a very Scandinavian demeanor, and despite his reputation for hard-hitting spot-kicks, it’s fair to say he’s pretty monotone in interviews.
When asked about his secret to taking penalties, he added: “Don’t think too much about it, just score it. That’s what goes through my mind.” And did the rest of the team practice penalties? “Eh, no comment.”
Gokeres lets his football do the talking.
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