After guiding Arsenal to a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against Newcastle United, Mikel Arteta reserved his highest praise for new signing Viktor Gyökeres, lauding the Swedish striker’s resilience and character in a fiercely contested battle at St. James’ Park.
It has been just months since Gyökeres made the high-profile switch from Sporting CP to North London, a move that sparked excitement among Arsenal fans eager to see if he could adapt to the intensity of the Premier League.
From the very start, Arteta insisted that his decision to bring in the forward went beyond numbers and statistics.
This was my best quote from the gaffer: “The best data was my first Zoom call with him. That was the best data. I told him the idea that I had and I wanted to just look at his reaction,” Arteta revealed when asked about scouting the striker in the summer back in the summer.
He added: “Like coming to Arsenal, imagine yourself putting that shirt on, walking into a dressing room with expectations around you. How do you handle it? Eyes open like this, he said, that’s my dream. So that’s the best data because you can have all the data but this guy has to come in that locker room with that pressure.”
For Arteta, Gyökeres’ mentality was always going to be as important as his goalscoring ability. As he noted before:
“For me that was the most important data. The other data I knew is how this guy is going to behave when he comes on that pitch with that security, with that dominance and with that arrogance almost to say, don’t worry, I will do it.”
Fast forward those words came full circle in Arsenal’s latest outing. Newcastle’s physical style, relentless pressing, and aerial duels could have rattled any striker, but Gyökeres responded with the kind of composure Arteta had envisioned when he first signed him.
Reflecting on the striker’s display, Arteta was full of admiration: “I loved it. I absolutely loved how he took it. He went on board, not a single moment when he was showing frustration. I told him that you’re going to get some decisions, some others not, stand up, you’re going to have two or three players around you in many moments, the ball is in the air, and a lot is going to happen.”
He further added “But I loved his reaction, I loved the way he handled the situation emotionally, and also because he was involved in a lot of dangerous moments that he created. He was very much involved in them. It’s a pity that he didn’t score a goal at the end, because in my opinion, he fully deserved it.”
Though Gyökeres didn’t find the net, his presence unsettled Newcastle’s backline, carving open opportunities for his teammates, running int the channels and constantly keeping the Magpies’ defenders on edge.
He even got a penalty that was controversially overturned but didn’t down the tools he kept fighting. His grit and maturity in such a high-pressure environment reinforced exactly why Arteta fought to bring him to the Emirates.
For Gunners, the night at St. James’ Park wasn’t just about three points, it was a glimpse of a striker whose mentality and resilience might finally be the missing piece in their title charge.
