Paul Scholes has gone into depth into what he believes are the honest views Arsenal players hold on one star within their ranks in north London
Paul Scholes believes Arsenal players enjoy playing with Viktor Gyokeres, but not for his goal-scoring instincts. The Swede’s start to life in north London, ever since his £64million move from Sporting Lisbon, has been mixed.
In the Premier League, he has only managed to find the net against Leeds United, Nottingham Forest – when they were managed by Ange Postecoglou – and relegation battlers Burnley. His record of four goals from 14 Premier League appearances is not terrible, but it’s a far cry from the 54 goals and 13 assists he grabbed in his final season with Sporting.
Mikel Arteta’s side chased his signature for weeks in the summer transfer window. However, Scholes believes the Arsenal players value Gyokeres’ work rate despite predicting that he’ll never be that prolific.
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Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes said: “Do you know what I think about Gyokeres? I don’t think he’s ever going to be an unbelievable goalscorer.
“But I think the rest of the team will like playing with him. He’s a focal point and works his b****** off.”
Nicky Butt then replied: “It might not be Gyokeres’ fault this, it might be the other players not knowing where he is. It’s tough for a player to go into a team that isn’t used to playing with a centre forward.
“But he’s a focal point to get them up the pitch. It had to be perfect for Arsenal to get into the final third last season.
“It had to be intricate to get up the pitch and they did it well to be fair. But with him he holds the ball up well and they get up the pitch.”
Butt then suggested Arteta may not have had a say in regards to Gyokeres’ arrival, claiming the club as a whole were desperate to sign a striker. The former midfielder said: “It’s the pressure.
“The pressure to buy a centre forward. The pressure to buy a striker at a club who keep nearly winning the title is massive.”
Arteta recently came to the defence of Gyokeres, claiming his players were not providing good enough service to him. After the narrow victory against Wolves, a game in which the Swede struggled, Arteta said: “He was in a lot of really good positions.
“The ball didn’t get into the area quick enough, sharp enough or just with the precision that is required for a No.9 to score the goal.”
Protecting Gyokeres again, he added: “Before the injury, he was in a great place. It took him a while at the beginning because it’s a different league with different demands. He had no pre-season and now he’s starting to get some momentum, but the thing that’s going to unlock him is goals.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
