Ian Wright questions Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal signing after Liverpool draw | Football

Ian Wright questioned Mikel Arteta’s summer signing Viktor Gyokeres after Arsenal were held to a goalless draw by Liverpool.

The Gunners were hoping to take full advantage of Manchester City’s latest slip-up in the title race by beating Liverpool and going eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.

But Arteta’s side were nowhere near their best at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night and had to settle for a 0-0 draw.

Arne Slot conceded before the game that Liverpool were already out of the title race but his defending champions were narrowly the better team in north London.

Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut chances, with £64m summer signing Gyokeres having just eight touches before being subbed off with half an hour remaining.

Gyokeres was expected to be a prolific striker for Arsenal after scoring almost a goal a game for his former club, Portuguese champions Sporting.

But the 27-year-old has now scored just five goals in 18 Premier League games and is without a goal from open play since November 1.

Wright was frustrated by Gyokeres’ performance against Liverpool and said he should have been on hand to convert some chances given the ‘kind of money’ Arsenal paid for him.

The Gunners legend also said he thought Arteta should have brought Gyokeres off sooner as he praised the ‘pace’ and ‘buzz’ Gabriel Jesus created following his introduction from the bench.

‘You have to credit Liverpool for their second-half performance, but in the first half, Arsenal created enough chances and got the ball in the box enough that meant you have to take an opportunity,’ Wright said on Premier League Productions.

‘You have to take those opportunities because you might not get too many more. Liverpool had the better chances in the second half but it’s another one for Arsenal to learn from.

‘I am happy they got a point rather than nothing, it was a tough game and it means they’re still in pole position [in the title race].

‘But you have to be more ruthless in the first half with the chances you’re creating. If they score those chances there’s no nerves in the second half. You have to take those chances and finish teams off.

‘The closing down wasn’t there in the second half. As soon as Liverpool got the ball we dropped off. That wasn’t working very well.

‘The subs could have been made a bit earlier to get a bit more energy. I would have liked to have seen Jesus earlier and Madueke a bit earlier as well to get a bit more pace, a bit more buzz into the game.

‘We looked like a team that wanted to finish it in the second half, you could feel nerves. There was some nerves there, they didn’t want to lose the game.

‘But the attitude you’ve got to have is to win games and then if you don’t you take the point, but we can’t be safe and we felt a bit safe and nervous there.’

Fellow former England striker Michael Owen then pointed out that title favourites Arsenal are not as ‘expansive’ as the Manchester City and Liverpool teams that have won the Premier League in recent years.

It was at that point that Wright addressed Gyokeres’ form, saying: ‘What I would say though Mike, with those teams you mentioned, they had a striker that can…

‘In those moments when the game’s tight, you’re not going to get many chances, that’s what we thought we bought and that’s what you need.

‘Look at the balls that went across goal. When you’re paying that kind of money, they have to be there.

‘That’s what makes the difference in games like this because we created enough in the first half to get something but we didn’t have someone to take the chance.

‘Then in the second half you get more and more nervous because of everything Arsenal are trying to do.

‘You could feel them getting more nervous and deeper and you can’t do that. We need to finish games off a bit more comfortably than we are at the minute.’

While Arsenal failed to beat Liverpool for the second time this season, they still extended their lead at the top of the table to six points.

The Gunners, who have not won the Premier League since 2004, put their title charge on hold this weekend when they face Portsmouth in the FA Cup.

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