Arsenal goalkeeper, David Raya, has cautioned his teammates about the form of Sporting CP forward Viktor Gyökeres, describing him as a top player in form ahead of their Champions League clash.
Raya emphasized the importance of containing Gyökeres, who has been in exceptional form this season, scoring 24 goals in 17 games.
His performances have attracted attention from Premier League giants, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal.
As Arsenal prepare to face Sporting at Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday, Raya stated, “We know his strengths, how he runs a lot in behind and scores a lot in one v. one and he is a top player in form. We are going to try and keep him very, very quiet. Don’t give him any chances. We have to step up defensively. Hopefully we can do a great job and keep a clean sheet.”
However, Mikel Arteta opted not to focus specifically on Gyökeres but instead spoke about the collective threat posed by Sporting, a team that recently beat Manchester City 4-1 in Ruben Amorim’s final Champions League match before moving to Manchester United.
Gyökeres had a standout performance, scoring a hat trick in that victory.
Arteta said, “I would like to talk about the team, about the coaches and how phenomenal they have been. The run they are in is incredible. That tells you that it is not only the quality, the setup, the ambition, it is something about the team energy that they have. That is a great challenge that we have tomorrow, to come here and make a statement and show we are capable against this kind of opponent. Be ourselves and win the game.”
Pressed on Gyökeres’ capabilities, Arteta explained, “I understand the question, but they have a lot of individual qualities. That’s why they can win games in various ways. And yes, in the specific position they have great players.”
Arsenal have struggled on the road in Europe, winning only one of their last eight away matches, failing to score in the last four.
This poor run dates back to their 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven in December 2023 when they had already secured their spot in the knockout rounds.
Arteta acknowledged this poor away form, stating, “Not all the games have been the same. It’s true that within those games there were games that were when we had already qualified. Something that is very true is that we have to improve those results and we have to find ways to understand what has been missing. Sometimes it’s been performance, sometimes it’s been other aspects. That’s the next step we have to make as a team.”
He added, “I wouldn’t say that this is the most important thing but the efficiency that we have shown inside the box at this level with the chances that we are normally able to generate in the Champions League level, is not at the level required to win consistently. I always say the Champions League is about boxes, small margins and details. You have to get all of those right to win, especially away from home.”
Currently, Sporting are second in the Champions League table, two points behind leaders Liverpool, while Arsenal are in 12th place with seven points after four matches.
