Gyokeres critics 'don't have a clue about football'

Martin Macdonald

7 Oct 2025 11:56 CDT
2 min read

Sweden head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson has leapt to the defence of striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has received criticism from some areas recently.

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Gyokeres became the most prolific striker in Europe last season, scoring 54 goals in 52 appearances for Sporting CP before earning a big-money move to the Gunners in the summer.

Negotiations went on throughout the off-season, with Arsenal seemingly unable to decide between Gyokeres and RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.

The Swede was eventually made their primary transfer target and a €66 million deal was concluded.

He has not hit the goalscoring heights of last season, as of yet, with just three goals to his name in nine matches in the new campaign.

That has led to some criticism of his suitability to Arsenal and the Premier League, but Tomasson insists that Gyokeres is a striker of the highest order.

"Viktor Gyokeres is in very good form at the moment and is very good," the Dane told reporters this week.

"If people say he doesn’t have an impact (on matches), then they don’t understand football and don’t have a clue about football. He creates space for other players, works on the ball and makes runs. It’s excellent and he scores goals almost all the time, so he has an impact and has been very good. It’s always nice, as you need time when you come to a new club.”

Odegaard backed to unlock Gyokeres

Gabriel Martinelli believes that Martin Odegaard can be the secret behind unlocking Gyokeres. The pair have not played regularly together yet but struck up a good understanding against Olympiacos recently, with the former Real Madrid man central to Gyokeres’ best moments.

“It’s really good to play with Martin there because he’s always trying to find you, when we make the movement. And for Viktor as well, his qualities as well, as he likes to go in behind and attack the opposition’s box,” Martinelli said of his team-mates.

“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.

“We are really happy with him, we trust him, we know his qualities and he’s one of the top strikers in the world right now. We trust him and we are trying to give him the confidence to score and to do his best on the pitch to help us.”

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