Following months of deliberation over their most well-liked choice, Arsenal lastly pulled the set off on Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres as their sixth summer time signing. However who’s the Swede, what’s going to he deliver to the aspect and why is he costing (as much as) £65 million.
Phil Costa studies.
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Regardless of extra data being out there to us than ever, Arsenal discovered themselves in an more and more troublesome place to recruit their new centre ahead this summer time. We don’t simply have metrics – the metrics have metrics – which may let you know every part from gamers’ respiratory patterns throughout REM sleep to what color underwear they carry out greatest in. However heading into the switch window, there have been names however no apparent targets; no positive issues in an especially shallow striker market.
Alexander Isak was the dream signing however costly and hard to wrestle out of Newcastle (though that might change), Benjamin Sesko is filled with potential but very a lot a challenge, whereas the ship had sailed on Ollie Watkins after a failed January bid – which leads us to Viktor Gyokeres. Issues by no means felt critical with him regardless of some hyperlinks, though when The Athletic revealed this text (£) in March about Andrea Berta being a “agency admirer” of the ahead; my Spidey senses had been tingling.
The Italian had simply been appointed as sporting director and this data felt very pointed, completely intentional and right here we’re 4 months later with Gyokeres in purple and white. He’s the person Arsenal have determined to gamble on after scoring 97 targets in 102 matches for Sporting and these numbers it shouldn’t really feel like a raffle in any respect – however it is a story of arduous work and perseverance for a participant whose profession has reached its zenith, when it was as soon as in actual hazard of truly fizzling out.
So what satisfied the membership to push the purple button? It’s essential to notice that issues haven’t all the time gone nicely for Gyokeres, who regardless of being picked up by Brighton from the Swedish second division had struggled to choose varied loans in Germany and the Championship, till Coventry and Mark Robins got here alongside. His mentality shifted, he bulked up and thru brute power saved scoring for The Sky Blues till Sporting entered the dialog and beat Premier League golf equipment to his signature.
In response to Robins, the Swede needed the Sporting transfer and “by no means wavered” till he received it, eager to show himself in Europe but additionally in a league the place strikers have beforehand taken their sport to new ranges. Past the targets (and there’s a number of them to speak about), you possibly can see Gyokeres performs with an unforgiving, refreshing sense of relentlessness. He assaults the aim like he’s received a private vendetta and can run arduous, shoot arduous and combat defenders all sport till he scores. It received’t all the time look fairly however that single-mindedness has successfully remodeled his profession – and it’s a high quality sorely missing on this Arsenal aspect.
That applies to his ending as nicely, which may be nuanced and delicate, with little dinks over the goalkeeper or positioned efforts into the far nook, however most of the time he’s placing his foot by means of the ball and whacking pictures in direction of aim as powerfully as attainable. Wanting past his ruthless ending, what makes Gyokeres such an fascinating choice is his suitability for transition-ball. Premier League soccer is changing into more and more intense and though most groups are comfy sitting in low blocks, house does sometimes reveal itself and capitalising on these moments is essential. The 27-year-old is consistently transferring throughout the front-line, bobbing and weaving between defenders (normally with a left channel bias) earlier than springing into motion and darting in behind.
In response to SkillCorner information, Gyokeres made 85 sprints in behind the opposition defensive position final season, that are outlined as runs at a median tempo of 25km/h or extra. That was greater than double another striker in the identical league; Samu Aghehowa (Porto) was closest with 41, and 24 greater than Nicolas Jackson who led the Premier League in that very same metric. As referenced on this Scouted Soccer breakdown, no different ahead in Europe may match his dash repeatability (practically 20 per sport) and solely 5 strikers had been capable of attain their high velocity faster, highlighting his virtually robotic want to maintain going and going.
Sporting and Coventry usually used the striker as a strain valve, somebody who might be left alone on midway to wrestle with defenders, combat for free balls and finally get his aspect up the pitch. As identified on this piece by Lewis Ambrose, Gyokeres took 25 pictures following a profitable tackle final season which was bettered by solely three gamers throughout Europe’s high 5 leagues: Lamine Yamal, Vincius Jr and Jamie Gittens – who’re all wingers.
He welcomes that isolation and never solely can he create probabilities for himself. Solely Mohamed Salah, Vinicius Jr and Jeremy Doku averaged extra carries into the penalty space per 90 final season than Gyokeres (3.11) – however platform others who may exploit the house and chaos he leaves behind. It’s price noting that Arsenal had been one of many worst high flight groups when it got here to changing excessive turnovers into pictures and targets final season, may the Swede add some much-needed conviction in these conditions?
Naturally, there are some query marks over the participant and this transfer, most of that are centred round the place his targets have come from during the last two seasons and who they’ve been scored towards, versus what number of. The Primeira Liga could be very lopsided by way of high quality, and Opta ranked it the second-most unequal league (out of 30 they analysed throughout world soccer) by way of common ranking; which is successfully the distinction in high quality between the highest aspect and all people else. Sporting frequently beat up on lesser opposition and Gyokeres does too, scoring 37 of his 39 league targets final season towards groups in fifth place or decrease – 13 of which got here towards the underside 4 alone.
Solely two of his 39 league targets final season got here towards the highest 4, each of which had been towards Braga. He didn’t rating towards Benfica or Porto. Nevertheless, his underlying numbers are comparatively constant no matter opposition and his two-year spell on the Jose Alvalade Stadium has seen 15 aim contributions (10G, 5A) towards their large three rivals, with an extra seven (5G, 2A) coming in 9 Champions League appearances.
Opta additionally launched their annual Energy Rankings article in June, the place they try to find out the “international hierarchy” of soccer primarily based on totally different metrics and information. They ended up rating the Portuguese high flight under the Championship and Belgian Professional League – and concluded that 11 of 18 groups in Portugal are of an analogous stage to these in League One. This may change drastically within the Premier League towards the strongest, quickest defenders but additionally extra organised defences normally.
For all the joy about his ending, physicality, and working in behind – it’s apparent this transfer presents a significant step up in high quality for Gyokeres. There’s all the time that lingering feeling at the back of your thoughts about whether or not aim machines from Portugal, or the Netherlands can translate their output to a better stage as a result of for each Radamel Falcao, there’s a Jackson Martinez, Islam Slimani or Mario Jardel.
However this won’t be a nasty factor for Arsenal, as a result of these targets or factors don’t rely for any much less and it’s in these video games towards “lesser opposition” the place the staff have struggled – particularly when tasked with breaking down low or mid blocks. Greater than something, we’ve wanted one other centre ahead choice who can occupy defences and add extra diversified risk after displaying the identical attacking face to this league for too lengthy now. It’s most likely an important space of the pitch to resume and refresh, and with the ability to energy up successfully from the bench is one thing we’ve lacked to show attracts into wins.
There are different technical points in want of sprucing; like his back-to-goal play, for instance. A part of his enchantment is that he’s a giant, battering ram of a centre ahead, however that additionally makes him fairly stiff when the extra intricate stuff comes alongside. I don’t assume his technical safety is that nice when receiving beneath strain, he’s a bit bouncy and bobbly, the ball doesn’t all the time follow him, nevertheless it won’t be an enormous concern with others within the squad proving extra succesful when dropping into deeper areas.
Others have identified a slowness in getting pictures off at instances, however whereas nothing apparent has stood out to me, it’s clear he received’t have time to take a contact or two within the Premier League ought to the ball drop his means. As talked about earlier, the striker may be fairly clunky and heavy-footed in tight areas, however his job will principally contain being a nuisance, working in behind and main the road in a means others can not.
For varied causes, Arsenal had been too straightforward to defend towards final season, gradual of their method play and painfully predictable which hampered their capacity to go the space with Liverpool regardless of reaching a Champions League semi-final. Gyokeres isn’t a lot a shot within the arm for these points, extra smelling salts laced with amphetamines. He’s all-action, full throttle and wholly targeted on doing one factor – scoring targets.
I discovered myself leaning in direction of Sesko as “the man” this summer time as a result of he profiled equally to Kai Havertz, whereas teasing you with a singular bodily profile and potential of what might be ought to he put every part collectively. Nevertheless it was by no means a large enough hole to disregard what Gyokeres may present this group and the extra you concentrate on it, possibly having somebody totally different fits us higher than having extra of the identical.
There’s undoubtedly one thing to be mentioned for his mentality and the way a lot he needs to be right here, how a lot he backs himself, how a lot he needs to succeed and we will’t take that as a right.
Whether or not we prefer it or not, come Outdated Trafford on matchday one, ahead signings are those you’re enthusiastic about seeing on the teamsheet. Already we’ve seen his celebration being mimicked within the crowd, Myles Lewis-Skelly couldn’t conceal his pleasure both and somebody coming in with this popularity or aura (ew) makes a distinction. Worrying about his first contact or how he creates separation in a crowded penalty space can wait.
Sporting ended up enjoying hardball however Arsenal and Mikel Arteta lastly have their man, their flat-pack bully and targets are on the agenda. Typically while you’re struggling to choose the lock, there’s all the time the choice to kick it down.
