Gary Neville was disappointed by the “really poor” performance of Viktor Gyokeres against Liverpool and accused the Arsenal striker of not contributing enough in the goalless draw.
Gyokeres’ frustrating start to life at Arsenal continued at the Emirates Stadium as he failed to register a shot against Arne Slot’s side and made it 10 games without an open-play goal.
The Sweden international scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for previous club Sporting but his tally for Arsenal stands at just seven in 24 games following his £55m arrival in July.
Gyokeres was a peripheral figure on Thursday night, only touching the ball eight times before his 64th-minute withdrawal for Gabriel Jesus, and Neville was not surprised to see his number come up.
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Highlights from the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool
“Not a surprise, that,” he said on co-commentary.
“He’s been ineffective, and that’s being kind. It’s a really poor night from him, he offered nothing.
“Look, there’s not getting service and then there’s getting involved in the game and doing more. He needed to do more.”
Gyokeres’ total of eight touches was his lowest in a game he has started this season and Neville questioned his movement after Arsenal failed to capitalise on a string of crosses in the first half.
Viktor Gyokeres only had eight touches against Liverpool
Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast after the game, he said: “I just thought, come on, be more of a battering ram.
“We’ve become used to, at times, centre-forwards not getting involved in the game as much and not contributing as much in general play.
“But what they have to be is in the right position in the box. They have to be making runs across the goalkeeper, across the near post.
“They have to make sure that they’re charging in and sliding in the six-yard box when that ball gets fired across. And he didn’t do that bit. That’s the bit I’m disappointed with him in.
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“If you’re not doing that, you’ve got to then do the other bit, which is the ugly bit of pressing and harassing and holding the ball up.
“But I don’t think he contributed anything, really, to the game tonight as a centre-forward for Arsenal.”
Gyokeres was not the only Arsenal forward to struggle in the game as Mikel Arteta’s side struggled to break down the visitors, who lacked cutting edge themselves without Hugo Ekitike, Mohamed Salah or Alexander Isak.
“Arsenal have had seven players out on that pitch tonight who have not been able to unlock that Liverpool defence, and that’s credit to Liverpool’s defence,” said Neville.
Viktor Gyokeres made way for Gabriel Jesus in the 64th minute
“But I would have expected, at some point in the game, one of [Leandro] Trossard, Gyokeres, [Bukayo] Saka, [Martin] Odegaard, [Eberechi] Eze, [Noni] Madueke, [Gabriel] Martinelli to produce that little bit of magic.
“They had a lot more options than Liverpool up front. But in the second half, Liverpool managed the game brilliantly on the ball, and the chances that Arsenal had, to be fair, weren’t really that big.
“So a challenging night for Arsenal. My feeling was, go eight points clear, go and grab this title by the scruff of the neck, but they’re still in a great position, they just didn’t quite put a performance together.”
Is patience in Gyokeres running out?
Analysis by Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:
This was not a game in which any attacking player came off particularly well but Gyokeres’ continued struggles, as a goalscorer and in general play, remain a source of concern for Arsenal.
This was the fourth time he has failed to register a shot in a Premier League game he has started. It came after he only mustered one against Bournemouth. His average of 2.15 per 90 minutes puts him below Everton’s Beto, Leeds’ Lukas Nmecha and West Ham’s Callum Wilson, a long way from the top-end of the rankings.
Viktor Gyokeres struggled against Liverpool on Thursday night
While a growing number of fans are losing patience, others put the issues down to service. His role in Declan Rice’s first goal against Bournemouth, when he occupied a crowd of defenders, was used as an example of what he brings to the side besides goals.
But the late arrivals in the box mentioned by Neville have become a familiar sight. Part of a striker’s role is to sniff out chances for himself and, without the space and physical advantages he enjoyed against weaker sides in Portugal, Gyokeres is being found wanting.
Arteta backed him to come good ahead of the Liverpool game. But it is becoming harder to defend his record. With Kai Havertz edging closer to fitness, it feels inevitable that a player signed to spearhead Arsenal’s title charge will lose his place.
