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mikel arteta It has been told Victor Gyokres He should be able to handle the pressure of not scoring armory Following a worrying run of six consecutive matches without a goal for the striker.
Gyöckeres scored 97 times in 102 matches sportingBut he heads to Arsenal against Fulham on Saturday with only three goals for his new club.
The Sweden international also failed to find the net during the recent international break, having last found the net in eight games since Arsenal’s 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest on September 13.
Gyöckeres’ other two strikes for Arsenal came in their first home match of the season against Leeds, meaning he has scored in only two of his 14 matches for club and country this season.
And Arteta added: “I told him before the first meeting, I said, ‘The nine I want is a nine that when he doesn’t score for six or eight games, he can handle it. If not, you have to go somewhere else because the expectations will be there.’
“So, if you wear nine shirts for Arsenal, you have to be able to say, ‘Okay, six games, if I don’t score, am I a different player? How do I start acting differently?’. No, I want something more than what he is doing.
“You look at the history of the number nine. You’ll have moments like this. He brings a lot to the team. He creates space and solutions for a lot of players around him. And with the talent we have in our team, I’m sure everyone, including him, will benefit from that.”
With Kai Havertz sidelined after a knee operation, Gyöckeres will lead the line for Arsenal at Fulham.
However, the captain is struggling with injury martin odegaard He is out for at least the next month after suffering medial collateral ligament damage in his left knee in Arsenal’s win over West Ham before the international break.
Arteta added: “There is no fixed date for Martin’s return, but his development is going well and he will be back in a few weeks.
“He’s in a really good place. He can’t afford to be in a different mindset. He’s the captain. He needs to push the standards. He needs to be the example. When you have no choice, you’re a father, you’ve got to take care of your kids. You’ve got to be there. And that’s his responsibility in the team.”
Bookmakers have installed Arsenal as favorites to win the Premier League after Liverpool took advantage of two consecutive defeats to top the table.
Arteta’s side can extend their lead over Liverpool to four points ahead of the defending champions’ home match against Manchester United on Sunday.
Asked if it was possible to remain at the top until the end of the season and end Arsenal’s 22-year title wait, Arteta replied: “It’s possible. If we keep winning a lot of football matches we will. I’m sure we’ll be there.”