Getty'We want players to be decisive!' - Mikel Arteta fires warning to Viktor Gyokeres after Arsenal striker fails to score again in draw with Nottingham Forest
Gyokeres fires blank as Arsenal held
Gyokeres endured another frustrating evening in an Arsenal shirt as the Gunners missed the chance to move nine points clear at the top of the table at the City Ground. Arteta's side could only draw 0-0 with Nottingham Forest despite dominating possession and managing 15 shots on goal during the 90 minutes. Arteta admitted afterwards he was disappointed at seeing his team drop points. He told reporters: "Every week is an opportunity. We want to win every game and if we would have done that, we would have been in a different position. But we made a step, a smaller one than the one we wanted, but it's a step."
Getty Images SportArteta's warning to goal-shy Gyokeres
Gyokeres has now scored just once in his last 10 Premier League appearances for Arsenal and his manager admits he wants more from the striker, telling reporters: "Obviously we want the players to be decisive at this level because we need them to score goals and create moments where we can unlock the door and get an opening which changes the game normally, and we haven't managed to take that and that's everybody's responsibility.
Yet Arteta also admitted that Gyokeres is not the only Arsenal player who needs to sharpen up in front of goal, adding: "Obviously we came here to win the game and we haven't managed to do that for different reasons. Credit to them, because they are really well organised and they are really good at breaking momentum when you have certain dominance in the game. But the reality is that we created four massive chances as well with [Gabriel] Martinelli an open goal, Declan Rice a tap-in, Mikel [Merino] and the header of Bukayo [Saka], and on top of that obviously a very clear penalty in the box that is not given. So, without conceding a single shot on target, again, the fact that we haven't won the game is disappointing. On top of that, I think we can do things better, especially in certain attacking areas."
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Why is Gyokeres struggling for goals at Arsenal?
Gyokeres scored 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting before joining Arsenal in a deal worth £64 million (€74m/$86m). He's so far failed to live up to his huge price tag and his goalscoring struggles at Arsenal have been analysed by Jamie Redknapp. He told Sky Sports: "I can’t lie, I wasn’t watching him at Sporting every week, but I would imagine the crosses he would have been getting with the system they played, with two wing-backs. Predominantly, it would have been a right-footed right wing-back and a left-footed left wing-back, so he gets crosses. Once that ball gets wide, they’re coming into him and he knows he can make that first run across the post and get in there. When he plays for Arsenal, the major problem is Bukayo Saka plays on the right, he’s left-footed, Martinelli the same, he want to cut back on his right foot. So when Bukayo Saka gets into that position to start with, instead of firing it across the face he want to chop back, so that’s where the frustration comes from."
Getty Images SportInter and Man Utd next for Arsenal
Arsenal now switch focus to the Champions League and a tie with Inter at San Siro. Gyokeres has scored twice in four Champions League outings this season for Arsenal, with both goals coming in the 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid back in October. After that, it's a visit from Manchester United in the Premier League.
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