'You have to live it!' - Mikel Arteta tells Viktor Gyokeres he must experience Arsenal doubters following 'global impact' of summer transfer

Six goals in 19 outings is a respectable start on paper. Yet it has not silenced the critics, since Gyokeres has found the net in only four matches, with all of his Premier League goals coming against teams currently occupying the bottom five. For a striker signed to elevate Arsenal’s title challenge, the conversation has quickly shifted from promise to pressure. Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Everton, Arteta addressed Gyokeres’ adaptation, insisting the level of attention has been constant since the day he signed. The Arsenal manager pointed to the circumstances surrounding the forward’s arrival, noting that Gyokeres joined without a pre-season and initially struggled physically in a league that demands peak conditioning.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Arteta said: "I think the level of attention on him hasn't changed since he signed to today. That’s normal. Everybody was so excited to bring a No. 9 into the club. We did it, we played, we brought a player with an incredible scoring record that had to adapt to the league. He had no pre-season. The first few weeks were difficult because physically, he wasn't in his best state and he's a player that needs that, like any other player in this league, almost to perform at that level. Then he kicked on."

Now, having returned to fitness, the manager sees encouraging signs. Arteta emphasised that understanding between player and team is still evolving, describing it as a process that requires patience rather than panic.

He added: "I think he had a really good period and he got injured, and now he's back. But I saw a lot of positive things in the last two games that he's done. We need to continue to tweak and understand him a little bit better in certain situations and he needs to do the same. But that's about time and we have full support for him."

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Joining a club of Arsenal’s stature brings a worldwide spotlight that cannot be fully imagined until it is experienced. The manager spoke of the difference between anticipation and reality, suggesting that learning to live with constant judgment is part of becoming a success at a global institution.

"At the end, you have to experience it," Arteta said bluntly. "You can imagine the global impact that you're going to have to deal with when you come to a big club and the expectations are as it is. But after you have to live it, and living it is always slightly different to your imagination."

Arteta underlined that fluctuations in a striker’s form are inevitable. Goals will come in bursts and droughts, but the responsibility of the team is to support rather than isolate. In his view, Gyokeres is embracing the challenge with the right attitude, even as doubts grow louder.

"But he's doing it with a lot of desire," Arteta said. "I think his energy level, his commitment, are absolutely top. And we are here to help him because we've all been here. We all need time, there's always moments and the strikers have moments. They score more goals, less goals, and we need to be there for him."

Saturday’s visit to Everton will mark Arsenal’s first competitive outing at Hill Dickinson Stadium, following the closure of Goodison Park.

"It’s strange, but very exciting as well," Aretta said. "I think obviously one of the most iconic stadiums in the Premier League is no longer part of our schedule, but we’re going to have the opportunity to win as well, the opportunity to win at an incredible stadium that they built, and Saturday night, you know what you expect."

Arsenal’s schedule offers little respite. Following the Everton trip, the Gunners face Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals before closing out 2025 with home clashes against Brighton and Villa.