Former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue has issued a rallying cry to the current Gunners squad, urging them to provide more service to striker Viktor Gyokeres if they want to secure the Premier League title this season.
Striker Struggling for Service
The Swedish international scored his ninth goal of the campaign during Arsenal's 3-1 Champions League victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday night, but his overall contribution has been somewhat underwhelming since his £55 million summer move from Sporting Lisbon.
Gyokeres has managed just five Premier League goals in twenty appearances, and with Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz returning from injury, his position in Mikel Arteta's starting lineup is coming under increasing pressure.
Eboue's Henry Comparison
Eboue, who made over 150 appearances for Arsenal between 2005 and 2011, believes the solution lies in changing the team's approach rather than replacing the striker. Speaking exclusively to AceOdds.com, the Ivorian drew comparisons with his time playing alongside legendary forward Thierry Henry.
'I watched him a lot when he played in Portugal and he is a very good striker,' Eboue said of Gyokeres. 'He is strong, but the problem is that the wingers don't use him often enough. All of them want to score, but he is the striker. His job is to score.'
The former full-back revealed how Henry would regularly remind teammates of their roles during his prolific Arsenal career. 'Henry always told me, [Gael] Clichy, Ashley Cole and all the other guys that he was the striker. He needed to score. He told us that he knew we wanted to score, but our job was not to score. Our job was to produce chances.'
Building Confidence Through Service
Eboue emphasised that building a striker's confidence requires consistent service from teammates, something he believes is currently lacking for Gyokeres. 'At training we always tried our best to give Henry confidence. We fed him, and they need to do that. He is a good striker. He needs more confidence, so his teammates need to help him.'
This sentiment was echoed by teammate Gabriel Jesus, who started alongside Gyokeres against Inter Milan and scored Arsenal's other two goals. The Brazilian acknowledged the psychological challenges facing strikers when goals dry up.
'I was so happy that Viktor came on and scored a goal,' Jesus told Amazon Prime. 'A striker without a goal is always difficult, I've been fighting with this my whole career.'
Title Hopes Rest on Improvement
Despite recent setbacks, including a goalless draw against Nottingham Forest in their last Premier League outing, Eboue remains convinced that Arsenal can end their twenty-three-year title drought this season.
'They have to do more, because the game against Forest could have been better,' he admitted. 'But I am 100 per cent sure that this season is going to be Arsenal's season. When Arsenal are dropping points, Man City are not capitalising.'
The former defender pointed to Manchester City's unexpected struggles as creating a golden opportunity for the Gunners. 'Man City have a good squad, but they are making a lot of mistakes this season. It has been very difficult for them to win, even against the small teams.'
Competition for Places
With Jesus, Havertz and Gyokeres all competing for the central striking role, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta faces selection headaches in the coming weeks. Jesus acknowledged the competitive environment while expressing confidence in all three forwards.
'To think about starting in this moment, everyone wants to start, to get minute, to get chances, but know I understand the whole situation, I'm not a kid anymore, I'm 28,' Jesus explained. 'I understand football, how it works.'
The Brazilian also praised returning German international Havertz, adding: 'And I'm 100 percent sure when Kai gets his chance, he will score.'
As Arsenal prepare for their crucial Premier League clash against Manchester United on Sunday, Eboue's comments highlight the tactical adjustments that might be necessary to maximise their attacking potential and maintain their position at the top of the table.
