Arsenal were in action against Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday night and there has been a fair bit of talk coming out of the Gunners camp since the recent win over West Ham
Arsenal bagged another victory in the Champions League’s league phase on Wednesday, keeping their eyes firmly on the prize this season.
The Gunners hit the ground running against Greek champions Olympiacos, with Viktor Gyokeres bulldozing his way through the defence to take a shot at goal in the 12th minute. Gabriel Martinelli was on hand to slot home the rebound. Arsenal could have netted more but squandered chances, while Olympiacos posed a greater threat in the second half.
However, any jitters around the Emirates were quashed in the 92nd minute when Bukayo Saka’s low shot slipped between the goalkeeper’s legs. It was another relatively straightforward win for Arsenal, even though they’re still finding their feet with new summer signings and a more direct style of play.
Now, as they gear up for what could be a challenging home game against West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday, we delve into the latest stories surrounding the Gunners.
Gabriel Martinelli backs Gyokeres to score 40 goals
Martinelli has thrown his support behind team-mate Gyokeres, backing him to net 40 goals in his debut season for Arsenal.
Gyokeres has had a mixed start to life in north London, scoring three goals to kick off the campaign but struggling to make his mark in most games so far, reports the Mirror.
The £64million Swede, who arrived from Sporting CP in the summer, has been far more like his usual self over the past two games, however, despite not finding the net.
That was evident against Olympiacos as he played a crucial role in the opener and was unlucky not to score two himself. And Brazilian Martinelli thinks it’s just a matter of time before Gyokeres explodes, having gone five games without a goal.
The forward said: “It’s really good to play with Martin Odegaard there because he’s always trying to find you, when we make the movement. And for Victor as well, his qualities as well, as he likes to go in behind and attack the opposition’s box.
“I think him playing with Martin as well is going to be good for him. We are going to try to give him the ball as much as possible to make him score, I don’t know, 30 or 40 goals a season.”
Club legend warns duo
Martin Keown has warned William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes that any mistakes from the central defensive pairing could see them dropped for new signing Cristhian Mosquera.
Saliba and Gabriel have been an integral part of arguably the best defence in the country over the past few years, and have had little competition.
But 21 year old Spanish defender Mosquera, snapped up for a bargain £13m from Valencia in the summer, demonstrated he’s more than ready to rise to the occasion when Saliba was sidelined with injury at the beginning of this campaign.
Keown reckons the two experienced defenders will raise their game knowing that a capable replacement is lurking in the shadows, ready to potentially claim their spot.
The legendary former Arsenal centre-back commented before the West Ham fixture: “Mosquera, the new acquisition, he’s really top draw. He has the same DNA as [Saliba and Gabriel]. Kiwior perhaps didn’t.
“He wasn’t as quick or as strong. It’s a high level [now] and [Mosquera] will push [Saliba and Gabriel] to play even better. They can’t make mistakes.”