Steve McManaman has said he feels sorry for Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz, arguing that Arsenal's cautious playing style means the forwards often take the blame for the team's more subdued performances.
His comments came after Arsenal beat Slavia Prague 2-1 in the Champions League, with first-half goals from Noni Madueke and Gyokeres proving decisive before Wiktor Nowak scored a late consolation for the hosts.
Arsenal's Champions League campaign
The win kept Arsenal unbeaten in this season's Champions League and lifted them to third place after four matches of the league phase, following earlier victories over Napoli and Lille and a 2-2 draw away to Bayern Munich.
Arsenal's only defeat in all competitions this term remains a 3-0 loss to Brighton in the Premier League in September. Arteta's side return to action at home to Hull this weekend.
Gyokeres impresses despite difficult start
Arteta made six changes to the team that beat Liverpool on Sunday, with Gyokeres starting through the middle in place of Havertz at Prague's Fortuna Arena. The Sweden international has had a difficult start to the season but played a key role in the opening goal, assisting Madueke with a hooked pass behind Slavia Prague's defence inside nine minutes.
He then scored himself shortly before the break, beating Nazar Domchak with an effort that went in off the upright. Although the second half proved more difficult for Gyokeres as Arsenal held firm to protect their lead, McManaman felt the striker should have been proud of his night's work.
Speaking about Gyokeres' performance, McManaman said: "I liked him in the first half. I think in the second half, when Arsenal became a little bit dishevelled, they weren't as close to him so I think it's hard."
He added: "When they are playing well, he is up there on his own. In the first half, they were very compact, they were very close to him, they were getting around the sides, they were making chances, so he looked dangerous. In the second half, when it got really stretched and they were wide and he was up on his own, he looked as if he was just left alone a lot."
McManaman's verdict on Arsenal's style
Given Arsenal are not known for being the most entertaining of teams, McManaman finds himself feeling sorry for Gyokeres and Havertz in certain matches.
"I do feel sorry for Arsenal forwards sometimes because they're not an entertaining team, they're not like a Barcelona. They defend very deep, they defend as a whole and it's a long way to get to the other end of the pitch to score goals," he said.
"They're never going to be this entertaining, lovely, free-flowing side scoring goal after goal after goal, and then Gyokeres and Havertz sometimes get the blame because of that. It's normally the midfielders and the defenders that we talk about. But as I said, Gyokeres had a great first half, he did his best in the second half and he deserves what he got because he got an assist and he got a goal."
Asked if it could be time for Arteta to trust Gyokeres with more minutes, McManaman replied: "Whenever a big game comes around, Arteta reverts to Havertz doesn't he? People keep saying that Havertz scores goals in the big games and he certainly did that against Liverpool so you can't really contest that. But I just think he trusts Havertz a little bit more. That's all it is."
He added: "Gyokeres played against Slavia Prague and he did exactly what he needed to do. He had an impact on the game, he had a huge impact on the game and we'll wait and see for Saturday. But I always think that when big games come around, if it was a final or Arsenal or Manchester City, if both Gyokeres and Havertz are fit, then Arteta would always revert back to Havertz."
Arteta praises Gyokeres
Speaking after the match, Arteta praised Gyokeres' all-round display, applauding the Swede's connection with his team-mates.
"I thought he was really good. It was a game we believed would be really good for him, for the demands the opponent puts in and the spaces he could use," Arteta said. "He's done it really well, not just for the assist and the goal, but he was really connected to the team. It's really great news for him, because he really needed that performance."
On Gyokeres' combination play, Arteta added: "He did that really well, understood really well when to appear, when to threaten, because they leave people, they follow man-to-man in the midfield and leave spaces there. So when I said he was really connected to the team, that was another example. I thought he had a great performance alongside the goal and assist."
Asked whether not starting had been a challenge for Gyokeres, Arteta replied: "It's a question for him, but I'd imagine every player wants to play every game, and Viktor is no different. The players need to impact the game like he has done today when they get the opportunity, to show the level they can produce. It's really positive for the team."
