Gabriel Martinelli Sets Goalscoring Target for Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal

Arsenal’s Brazilian winger has revealed which player will be key to the success of Viktor Gyökeres.

Viktor Gyökeres has scored three goals in nine appearances for Arsenal. / Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Gabriel Martinelli has backed Viktor Gyökeres to score up to 40 goals for Arsenal this season, citing the creativity of Martin Ødegaard as crucial to his prediction for the Swedish striker.

Rather unsurprisingly, Gyökeres has not been as prolific as he was for Sporting CP—it was 54 in 52 appearances for the Portuguese club last season—during the early stages of his Arsenal career, managing three goals in nine appearances for his new team.

The towering 27-year-old has proved a handful for central defenders even when not scoring, something that was underscored by his performance in Arsenal‘s 2–0 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Gyökeres outmuscled both Olympiacos centre backs in the build-up to Martinelli’s opener, finishing the game with three shots, 0.47 expected goals and seven touches in the opposition penalty area.

Bukayo Saka was also on the scoresheet midweek but it was Ødegaard who was the standout performer, with Martinelli believing the Norwegian will boost Gyökeres’ goalscoring numbers in his debut term.

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“We are really happy with [Gyökeres], we trust him, we know his qualities and he’s one of the top strikers in the world right now,” said Martinelli after the victory.

“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. 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. 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.”

Ødegaard had faced some criticism for his recent performances but the Arsenal captain’s return to form is timely. He will be aiming to supply Gyökeres with more goalscoring opportunities against West Ham United on Saturday in the Gunners’ final fixture before the international break.

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