Arsenal’s Raya warns his teammates about Gyökeres’ quality

David Raya has warned his Arsenal teammates that Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyökeres is a “top player in form”, while Mikel Arteta urged his strikers to find their ruthless streak to keep their Champions League hopes on track.

Gyökeres has emerged as one of Europe’s most prolific strikers after scoring 24 goals in 17 games this season, attracting interest from numerous Premier League clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and the Gunners.

Sporting hosts Arsenal on Tuesday at the Estadio Jose Alvalade and Arsenal goalkeeper Raya said of Gyökeres: “We know his strengths, how he runs backwards a lot and scores a lot of goals in one-on-ones and he is a top player in his form. “

“We will try to keep him very, very calm. Don’t give him chances. We have to become stronger defensively. Hopefully we can do a great job and keep a clean sheet.”

Arteta refused to bet on Gyökeres specifically, instead focusing on Sporting’s collective threat after beating Manchester City 4-1 in Ruben Amorim’s last Champions League game before becoming United manager.

Gyökeres scored a hat-trick on the night and since joining Sporting from Coventry in 2022, he has scored 69 goals in 67 games across all competitions.

When asked how good the Sweden international is and how Arsenal can stop him, Arteta focused on Sporting’s remarkable 19-match unbeaten run this season, including 17 wins.

“I would like to talk about the team, the coaches and how phenomenal they were,” Arteta said. “The run they are on is incredible. This shows that it’s not just the quality, the setup, the ambition that matters, but also the team energy they have. This is a big challenge that we have tomorrow, to come here and give a sign and show that we are capable against this type of opponent. Be ourselves and win the game.

Arteta further elaborated on Gyökeres, replying: “I understand the question, but they have a lot of individual qualities. That’s why they can win games in different ways. And yes, they have great players at that specific position.”

Arsenal have won just one of their last eight away games in Europe and have failed to score in their last four. This run dates back to the 1-1 draw against PSV Eindhoven last December, when the Gunners had already secured their place in the knockout rounds.

“Not all games were the same. It is true that in these games there were games where we had already qualified,” Arteta said. “It is true that we need to improve these results and find ways to understand what is missing. Sometimes it was the performance, sometimes it was other aspects. This is the next step we need to take as a team.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s the most important thing, but the efficiency we’ve shown in the penalty area at this level, with the chances we can normally generate in the Champions League, is not enough to win consistently.

“I always say that the Champions League is about boxing, small gaps and details. You have to do all of that to win, especially away from home.”

Sporting are in second place in the Champions League table, two points behind first-place Liverpool, while Arsenal are in 12th place with seven points after four games.