Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac singled out Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres for surprise praise following Sunday's 3-2 friendly win at Emirates Stadium. Despite another disappointing afternoon for the Sweden international, Kovac highlighted his qualities when asked if any Arsenal players caught his eye.
Kovac's unexpected compliment
Gyokeres, who scored a second-half penalty, looked off the pace against Real Betis last week and faced criticism after the defeat. Yet Kovac said: 'There are a lot of top players when you see Gyokeres he is strong, he is quick, he is fast he is very direct. We know him very well but I can mention all the players.'
Arteta backs Guimaraes
Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has backed 'warrior' Bruno Guimaraes to 'ignite something different' in the Premier League champions. The Brazil midfielder was introduced to fans before the match after completing his £75million move from Newcastle, signing a four-year deal.
Guimaraes bolsters a midfield already featuring Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze. Arteta told the club website: 'You can see the immediate reaction. I think he describes himself as a warrior. I think he's a warrior with a tremendous quality as well and intuition and leadership and charisma that is going to help us, that is going to really ignite something different in the team. I think he's going to push everybody inside the team as well and that's the type of player that we need.'
