Thierry Henry has described Viktor Gyokeres as a 'perfect match' for Arsenal, praising the Swedish striker's instinct to operate inside the penalty area. The 27-year-old completed a £64m move from Sporting CP to re-energise Mikel Arteta's attack ahead of what Henry calls a 'now or never' season for the Gunners.
Gyokeres opened his account in pre-season with a powerful header in a 3-0 win over Athletic Club, a quality that impressed the Arsenal legend. 'He is a proper No. 9,' Henry wrote in his Betway Insider blog. 'He wants to be in the box, in between the posts. You have a guy that's a killer in the box – numbers don't lie – and you have a team that create a lot of chances, so it should be the perfect match.'
Henry urged patience, noting that instant success is rare in football. 'What you want is people to be patient with him. They want the guy to perform straight away, score goals straight away, which doesn't happen often,' he said. He added that while he hopes Gyokeres can 'bang goals for us and guide us to a title', he cautioned that goals alone do not guarantee silverware.
Gyokeres is set to make his full debut for Arsenal on Sunday against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Gunners are aiming to mount a title challenge after three consecutive runner-up finishes in the Premier League.
