Patience was running thin with Viktor Gyokeres , but it turns out the Swedish international is his own harshest critic. He went into the international break knowing he needed to do better for Arsenal, and he came out of the break doing better.
Before the break, Gyokeres' performances were flat. He got the odd 15-minute cameo here and there, but didn't do anything with them. It was almost like he was a missing piece, eating up an invaluable place in the 11 because none of his teammates dared pass to him.
It's a far different story now.
Over the last few weeks, Viktor Gyokeres has been exceptional. He's not only a player his teammates pass to, but one they actively seek out in patient build-up play. He isn't just a piece; he's been the glue.
As I'm typing this about Gyokeres, it turns out he's been playing as a false nine - and a pretty great one at that. Arsenal have needed someone to take up this role, and the man who nobody expected to has stepped up in a big way.
Against Nottingham Forest, Gyokeres was the physical presence that Arsenal needed, which brought out the best in his wingers. Against Bayern Munich, he linked up well with Declan Rice to provide the equalising assist. Against Everton, he assisted Ezri Konsa . Heck, he even pulled out an acrobatic backheel to unleash Eze at the weekend. I can almost guarantee nobody had a bet on that.
Long story short, Gyokeres is the Arsenal forward who makes his teammates better. He doesn't mind taking a backseat and carrying out the non-glamorous roles in attack for the benefit of his teammates - better yet, he actively seeks this role.
Arsenal do not need a prolific number nine to win the Premier League. It was the age-old narrative for the longest time, but it was far from the truth. The reason why Arsenal came second for so many years wasn't that they were unequipped; it was because the team in first were still benefiting from years of breaking the rules. You can hardly blame Arsenal for that.
Nevertheless, the Gunners have proven they can win the league without a prolific centre forward, and they're on pace to do the same this season.
It's a weird one, because Gyokeres can be prolific. He has proven that at both club and international level. However, to make Gyokeres prolific, Arsenal need to adapt their tactics to feed into their strengths - At this stage, it isn't worth fixing what's clearly working.
Kai Havertz is clearly fatigued right now, and playing as a sub at the weekend helped. Arsenal now have two strikers who are competing for the spot, which can only be a good thing. If Gyokeres elevating his game in recent weeks takes the weight of the world off Havertz's shoulders, this is a win-win for all parties involved.
This article was originally published on www.paininthearsenal.com as Viktor Gyokeres is quietly taking on the Arsenal role nobody else wants this season .
