Viktor Gyokeres started and played the entire game for Arsenal against West Ham United.
The Sweden international hasn’t scored for the Gunners since his tap-in against Nottingham Forest back in September.
Gyokeres has been working really hard, and no Arsenal fan can have an issue with his performances over the last few weeks.
However, strikers are judged by the goals they score, and Mikel Arteta may have cost Gyokeres a golden opportunity to increase his tally.
Mikel Arteta may have broken his promise to Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal
Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP in the summer.
The striker was the most prolific player in Europe during his time in Portugal, scoring 97 goals in 102 games there.
Arsenal fans always knew that he would struggle to replicate those numbers in the Premier League, but Gyokeres has shown that he knows where the goal is.
In August, a report from Swedish outlet Sportbladet revealed that Gyokeres had been ‘selected as the penalty taker for the club for the upcoming season’ by Arteta, presumably to help him.
However, that promise from the Arsenal manager was broken on Saturday.
Arsenal won a penalty against West Ham United, and even though Gyokeres was on the pitch, Bukayo Saka was the one who took it.
If Arteta’s promise to Gyokeres was true, the striker is likely to be annoyed that he was not named as the penalty taker against the Hammers.
What Mikel Arteta thinks about Viktor Gyokeres’ penalty ability
Gyokeres has had a fantastic record from the penalty spot over the course of his career.
Footy Stats reveal that he has converted 36 of the 40 spot kicks he has taken over the years, and he found the net in Arsenal’s colours against Leeds United as well.
Arteta knows about Gyokeres’ penalty ability very well.
Just before the start of the new season, the Arsenal boss sat down for a quickfire interview with ESPN Brazil on their social channels.
When asked who Arsenal’s best penalty taker is, Arteta replied without any hesitation: “Gyokeres!”
Arteta clearly trusts Gyokeres’ ability on penalties, but Saka is very good too. We expect the two players to share them in the coming months.