Disappointing performance, Gyokeres receives direct criticism about his skill level

Viktor Gyokeres continued his goal drought in Arsenal's victory over Fulham, and Alan Shearer warned that he is unlikely to replicate the impressive scoring form he showed at Sporting Lisbon.

Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres had another disappointing game as he failed to score in Arsenal's 1-0 win against Fulham. Despite support from coach Mikel Arteta and teammates, former star Alan Shearer believes Gyokeres “won't come close” to matching the remarkable goal-scoring record he had while playing for Sporting Lisbon.

Alan Shearer, once the Premier League's all-time top scorer, acknowledged that Gyokeres still adds value to Arsenal's style of play but insisted that he cannot reach the level of elite European forwards like Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, or Kylian Mbappe.

On the show Match of the Day, Shearer stated: “Gyokeres is not on the same level as the three players we just mentioned; he is quite far off. However, he offers Arsenal a different strength, which is intelligent movement and exploiting the space behind the opposing defense.”

According to Shearer, Gyokeres' frequent runs behind defenders have helped make Arsenal's attacking play more varied. “Last season, you often saw Havertz dropping deep to receive the ball, which made it easier for opponents to defend. But when Gyokeres makes diagonal runs and stretches the defense, spaces immediately open up for his teammates. In this aspect, Arsenal has clearly improved.”

Nevertheless, Shearer also believes Gyokeres needs to quickly improve his finishing if he wants to justify the trust from the coaching staff and fans. “I believe he will score more goals in the remainder of the season, although certainly not reaching the huge numbers he had at Sporting Lisbon. With the chances Arsenal creates, he will soon improve his stats.”

Joining Arsenal in the summer transfer window for a fee of up to £67 million, Gyokeres was expected to become the perfect piece in the Gunners' attack. However, after a promising start, the 27-year-old striker is struggling to maintain his scoring form. So far, he has only scored 3 goals for Arsenal and has gone 7 matches without scoring across all competitions.

While Gyokeres has yet to shine as expected, Arsenal continues to maintain an impressive form. The win at Craven Cottage helped them consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League.

The Gunners are showing the resilience of genuine title contenders, managing to win tough matches even though their main striker is still trying to regain his scoring instincts.