Viktor Gyökeres of Arsenal attributes victory in the Tottenham derby to team discussion.
Viktor Gyökeres feels that Arsenal’s emphatic derby victory over Tottenham served as the “ideal response” to quell the club’s detractors.
Gyökeres and Eberechi Eze each netted two goals to secure a 4-1 victory against Spurs, just four days after Arsenal faced disappointment with a 2-2 draw against Wolves.
The lost points at Molineux raised concerns regarding Arsenal’s mentality in the title race. However, their display against Tottenham, which positioned them five points ahead of Manchester City at the Premier League summit, helped to address some of the skepticism.
Gyökeres, who has now reached a total of 10 league goals this season, stated: “It’s always challenging to bounce back from a result like we had at Wolves, but it’s about how you deal with that and how you respond, and today we demonstrated that effectively.”
“Achieving this result and performance was the perfect way to react. It’s a positive indication. The key is to maintain this level in the next match and the one after that. There are many games ahead. But if we continue to perform like this, it will be beneficial, for sure.”
Mikel Arteta’s title-contending team held a discussion after they relinquished a two-goal advantage against the bottom-placed Wolves.
Ahead of Sunday’s north London derby, Declan Rice mentioned that the players communicated with each other in a “firm” manner.
Reflecting on the situation, Gyökeres added: “Sometimes it’s crucial to express your feelings and to share openly within the group.”
“Most of us contributed to the conversation. Everyone can acknowledge how different individuals feel at that moment, leading to a better understanding of the overall sentiment.”
“When you engage in open discussions like that, it fosters unity, and it’s very important to do that at times.”
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“If you’re not truthful, I believe it’s difficult to make progress. It was a productive conversation, we certainly enjoyed today, and now we will prepare for a significant match against Chelsea next weekend.”
Having avoided the Champions League playoffs, Arsenal will not have a midweek fixture for the first time in over two months.
Arsenal’s title competitors, Manchester City, will also not return to action until next weekend, when they face Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday evening. Pep Guardiola mentioned that he will permit his players to enjoy some cocktails in the upcoming days.
In response to Guardiola’s plans, Arteta remarked with a smile: “Cocktails? I don’t consume cocktails. So, no, we will follow our own routine.”
