Teamwork makes the dream work

Mikel Arteta’s underrated Arsenal star provides one thing “folks actually don’t see”

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Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are using excessive on the high of the Premier League desk, and supporters have been advised one participant would not get the reward he deserves.

Arsenal’s set-piece kings on track to win the Premier League

Their explosive begin has not simply positioned them as Premier League title favourites, but additionally as the present kings of set items — a lethal weapon that’s wreaking havoc on opposition sides domestically and in Europe.

Arsenal have scored extra targets from dead-ball conditions than some other top-flight facet to date (11), with star defender Gabriel on the coronary heart of it with 4 contributions to these strikes because the Gunners make their greatest weapon recognized.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man Metropolis

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Corners, free kicks and even throw-ins have turn out to be golden scoring alternatives, as Arsenal flip these conditions into main outcomes with surgical precision.

Their aerial energy, mixed with intelligent routines, has made them a nightmare for defenders who can’t afford to lose focus for even a second.

Nevertheless, on the coronary heart of Arsenal’s success is their impenetrable defence which has conceded the joint-fewest targets, not solely within the Premier League, however throughout Europe’s high leagues (3), with Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma additionally conceding simply three.

The arrival of no-nonsense new backroom coach Gabriel Heinze is considered as an actual contributor to Arsenal’s more and more water-tight backline, which has one way or the other turn out to be much more stable, regardless of already leaking the fewest league targets of any Premier League facet in every of the final two seasons.

David Raya is in line for this third-successive Golden Glove award, and solely a whole catastrophe by way of accidents to key defenders would disrupt Arteta’s facet proper now.

That being stated, even when William Saliba was briefly compelled out of the facet by damage, Cristhian Mosquera carried out exceptionally properly subsequent to Gabriel on the coronary heart of Arsenal’s defence, and fellow summer time signing Piero Hincapie can be readily available to step in.

Given their imperiousness on the again, Viktor Gyokeres has been considerably overshadowed.

Eze gyokeres

The Swede, who was introduced in to take the mantle of Arsenal’s new prolific quantity 9, acquired off to a flying begin however went seven video games with no objective earlier than his much-needed brace in opposition to Atlético Madrid final week.

Gyokeres has attracted some criticism for his pretty underwhelming return to date, however journalist Graeme Bailey insists that he is truly a reasonably underrated new member of the crew.

Talking to TBR Soccer, Bailey says that Gyokeres brings an “additional factor” to Arsenal that “folks do not actually see”.

Gyokeres

“Gyokeres, who I assumed had a superb sport, truly,” Bailey stated.

“The way in which he strikes defenders round. I feel with him, folks actually don’t see that he actually does add an additional factor to Arsenal. I feel it’s been an enormous issue for them.

“However folks staying match, Calafiori and Timber staying match. These two fullbacks, I feel they’re, not the unsung heroes of this crew, however they’re actually, actually good, these two. I feel they are surely fabulous.”

Curiously, this thought is echoed by Arteta, who says that Gyokeres makes Arsenal a way more “unpredictable” facet.

“All of us respect him as a result of he makes us a a lot better crew,” Arteta stated.

“I feel we’ve turn out to be far more unpredictable. He’s so bodily, opens the areas for everybody. The way in which he presses the ball, holds the ball, it’s simply phenomenal. After which the icing on the cake and the most important factor that we’re going to debate about him is targets. He’s scored two very completely different ones right now and hopefully he begins to get some momentum and a very good run of targets.”

His in-game play is there for all to see, and the previous Sporting CP star has already proved a handful for defenders since his blockbuster summer time swap.

Now, Gyokeres simply wants so as to add extra targets, then the critics will quickly be silenced.