Despite some criticism, Viktor Gyokeres continues to score goals for Arsenal, and there are those who believe that his partnership with Kai Havertz could further elevate his performance. The Swedish forward, who scored twice last Saturday coming off the bench against Sunderland, has already netted 13 goals in 32 matches for the Gunners. Signed in the summer from Sporting, Gyokeres is the top scorer for Mikel Arteta's team this season, yet he has faced criticism from fans and commentators during his first year in England. It is worth noting that the 27-year-old arrived in London with an impressive record of 97 goals in 102 matches for the Lions. Perry Groves, a former Arsenal forward and English champion in 1989 and 1991, argues that the best of the Swede is yet to come and that his start at the London club surpasses the records of some legends. "I have been the president of the Gyokeres fan club since he arrived," Groves told talk SPORT. "There has been a lot of negativity from former players. I just said he needed time to adapt. Gyokeres was the key man at Sporting. He was almost in charge of everything at Sporting and told the players what he wanted. At Arsenal, it’s a different level and he is judged differently," he added. Groves made a comparison with club icons to contextualize Gyokeres' performance. "In his first 32 games for Arsenal, he scored more goals than Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, who scored 11 and 10, respectively. If you remember when they arrived, especially Henry, the press was all over him, even the fans. I remember Pires, in his first nine or ten games, the fans didn’t like him, but we have to trust what our eyes tell us," he explained. The former player also emphasized the importance of the forward to the team. "I know he can only improve, and he is our top scorer. He has 13 goals and can only evolve. He gives us a completely different alternative, which is exactly what he did when he came on [against Sunderland]."
Sporting Arsenal remains central to this story.
Sporting Arsenal remains central to this story.
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