The best possible Arsenal starting lineup to bring Viktor Gyokeres to beast status
Viktor Gyokeres is in record-breaking form for Sweden, which indicates that any problems at club level are not of his own making. Mikel Arteta should consider some personnel tweaks in order to get the best out of him.
Our number 14 made history on Friday night when he found the net for Graham Potter’s side against Bosnia and Herzegovina, becoming the first player to score in six consecutive matches in the Nations League.
His form on the international stage suggests that problems at club level go deeper than the individual and, now, Mikel Arteta has a job on his hands to tweak the starting lineup in order to get the best out of him.
How Arsenal must line up to bring in-form Viktor Gyokeres to beast status
David Raya is certainly not an issue in goal, while any variation of the Arsenal defence ranks amongst the best in world football. Elsewhere, one could argue Declan Rice is an automatic pick in a ‘Gunners best XI’.
But there are other changes which the boss must consider. Here are four personnel choices he could make to bring Gyokeres to beast status.
Midfield: Martin Odegaard & Bruno Guimaraes
Arsenal have not struck the right midfield balance since Granit Xhaka left but Bruno Guimaraes might just be the missing piece.
£75m is a sizeable investment – especially for a 28-year-old – which proves just how determined the boss was to finally solve the midfield conundrum. Bruno offers a mix of ball security, a varied passing range and long-range threat that should benefit Gyokeres as he can make runs in behind the defence knowing those behind him are quite capable of picking him out.
In terms of accuracy from distance, that threat from Bruno will surely prompt opponents to rush out and block his path to goal, something Sunderland failed to do and, thus, they paid the ultimate price. Goal threat from range has lacked at Arsenal for some time yet Bruno bucks the trend and it may just see Gyokeres exploit extra space in the box.
Add to that how Martin Odegaard has returned to top form of late and, suddenly, Gyokeres might be primed for better days at N5.
It is harsh for Myles Lewis-Skelly to miss out as he brings many of the qualities Bruno bears, but he is not as much of a goal threat and that could count against him. In addition, the fact Arsenal went out to get Bruno suggests it is his shirt to lose.
Either way, things are looking up for Gyokeres.
Left wing: Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze is not so much the best choice as he is the ONLY choice.
Arsenal chose to proceed with Christos Tzolis as their sole LW option and, naturally, the plan would backfire just a month after the transfer window shut; Tzolis got injured on Thursday and is expected to be out for 2-3 weeks.
So, like it or not, Eze will be in the starting lineup. That is not necessarily bad news for either the club or Gyokeres, though, because he has the attributes to draw maximum value from the Swede, who is an excellent runner that needs people around him to keep the ball and find him when he makes runs into the channels.
Few tick those boxes like Eze. He boasts the vision, ability and the audacity to pull off the ambitious – like he did for Gabriel Martinelli’s goals versus Manchester City and Bayern Munich last year – and to get an extended run in the team might, in turn, help kickstart his own Arsenal career after a modest first campaign.
Time for this £131m double spend to come good.
Right wing: Bukayo Saka
Despite his underwhelming efforts of late, Bukayo Saka is still the best offensive weapon at Arsenal and their best means of utilising Gyokeres to full effect.
He has the knack of being in the right place at the right time, can still go inside or outside defenders even if injury has cost him a yard of pace, and he is the type of player that opponents feel obliged to double up on.
And, again, his ability to keep the ball under pressure makes him particularly useful for a runner-type profile like Gyokeres.
Also, the alternative is Noni Madueke, who is less reliable in terms of productivity and performs best when released in behind. The Premier League demands that you unpick tough defensive locks rather than have your way with high lines, and it is a job for which even an off-peak version of Saka is better suited.
Our Starboy is still a force of nature.
Best Arsenal starting lineup for Gyokeres: David Raya; Jurrien Timber; William Saliba; Gabriel; Riccardo Calafiori; Martin Odegaard; Declan Rice; Bruno Guimaraes; Eberechi Eze; Bukayo Saka; Viktor Gyokeres
