Viktor Gyokeres produced his best 45 minutes in an Arsenal shirt during the win over Slavia Prague, scoring and assisting as he pushed his case to become the club's starting striker.
The battle for Arsenal's number nine role has often resembled a pillow fight in recent weeks. Kai Havertz has been off his best since the international break, while Gyokeres struggled to make an impression when given his opportunities. Both started in the Carabao Cup defeat to Fleetwood, and despite Gyokeres scoring that night, spells on the bench could have followed for either.
A breakout performance in Prague
Serious punches are now being landed. Havertz scored the winner against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, and in Prague Gyokeres responded with one of his best all-round displays in an Arsenal shirt. From the opening minutes, he was holding the ball up, linking attacks, and playing with delicate subtlety that has been in short supply in his Arsenal career.
He assisted Noni Madueke's opener with a clever ball in behind, and his confidence only rose from there. When David Raya hammered a pass out, Gyokeres flicked it round the corner on the half volley to Hincapie. There were deft touches to combine with Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino too.
Gyokeres then got on the scoresheet with a brilliant passage of play. He laid the ball off to Merino, peeled into space, and when the ball came back to him the finish was sensational. With minimal back-lift, he curled in off the far post.
Growing trust and team impact
It was not just Gyokeres' confidence that visibly grew, but the trust his team-mates had in him. Eze was seeking him out with intricate one-twos, backheeling into space. The striker finished the half with 19 touches, more than he has often managed in full matches.
The context of the match helped. Slavia were poor, and Arsenal bullied them, competing with a physicality and direct intent their hosts could not live with. Madueke and Eze were electric and ran their full-backs ragged, with space on offer that Arsenal ruthlessly exploited.
However, there have been plenty of matches Arsenal have dominated where Gyokeres was a passenger, struggling to register a shot or a meaningful touch. This time, he was central to all that was positive about Arsenal's display.
Second-half concerns and the striker battle
It was not perfect. A couple of passes through to Madueke were too rushed, when a more composed decision would have had Arsenal in on goal. Gyokeres also faded after the break, though that reflected Arsenal's standards dropping rather than the striker doing much wrong.
The Gunners were far too casual in the second half and gave Slavia encouragement when they were there to be put away. Arteta will be concerned by that and the casual manner in which Arsenal approached the half, with their game management unusually poor.
However, the Arsenal manager will be far happier with what Gyokeres produced, particularly in that first half. There is no question that Arteta's thinking, especially in the biggest games, normally falls towards Havertz. Play like this consistently and Gyokeres can force a rethink.
