Arsenal news: Viktor Gyokeres handed blunt warning as ‘unacceptable’ incident called out

Arsenal retained their place at the top of the Premier League table after their 1-0 win over Fulham while increasing their lead over the chasing pack

Arsenal may have a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League table but even the top-flight leaders have issues. The Gunners earned a third straight league win with their narrow 1-0 victory away to Fulham on Saturday.

Liverpool had the opportunity to cut their lead down to a point but failed miserably after succumbing to a 2-1 home loss at the hands of Manchester United. After eight games, Mikel Arteta’s side have conceded just three goals but it’s on the other end of the pitch where it’s not firing on all cylinders.

It’s four league games without a goal for Viktor Gyokeres while Eberechi Eze has yet to net a league goal this season. The Swede has been told by Arteta what to expect in the midst of a goal drought while controversy in their match at Craven Cottage was called out by a former official.

Mirror Football delves into the latest news from the Emirates Stadium as the Premier League leaders continue separating themselves from the rest of the pack.

Arteta hands Gyokeres warning

Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League table has come without consistent goals from Gyokeres who has netted just three times for the north London side since joining in the summer.

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The Swede had a superb record in Portugal with 97 goals in 102 games but has so far failed to replicate his excellence in front of goal for his new club. After yet another game without a goal against Fulham, the 27-year-old’s goal drought spans nine games, including not finding the back of the net during the recent international break.

Despite his lack of conversion in front of goal, Arteta had already informed him prior to the season of what he must do when the goals aren’t coming. Speaking before the match at Craven Cottage, the Gunners boss said: “I told him before the first meeting, I said, ‘the nine that I want is a nine that when he doesn’t score for six or eight games, he can handle that’.

“If not, you have to go somewhere else because the expectation is going to be there. So, if you put on a nine shirt for Arsenal, you have to be able to say, ‘OK, six games, if I don’t score, I’m a different player? I start to act in a different way?’. No, I want much more of the same of what he’s doing.”

He insisted that while goals are lacking, Gyokeres remains hugely important and has contributed in other ways. Arteta added: “You see the history of the number nines. You’re going to have moments like this.

“He brings so much to the team. He creates space and solutions to a lot of the players around him. And with the talent that we have in the team, I’m sure that everybody, him included, will benefit from that.”

‘Unacceptable’ incident called out

While Arsenal did capture all three points against Fulham, they certainly would have felt hard done by after Anthony Taylor, via a VAR review, overturned the decision to award the Gunners a penalty.

After Bukayo Saka fell in the penalty area following a challenge from Kevin, the referee pointed to the spot but subsequently changed his mind after spending a lengthy period of time at the pitch-side monitor.

Before announcing his decision, he was swarmed by a crowd of Fulham players who refused to budge which was branded an “unacceptable” situation by former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “It was a very difficult decision. From Taylor’s point of view, I can understand why he awarded a penalty kick. Initially, I was surprised that VAR came in.

“When I saw a different angle, you can clearly see that the player winning the ball, VAR coming in, and Anthony Taylor turning the decision over. When the referee goes to view the pitch-side monitor, no players or staff of either club should be anywhere near the monitor. Therefore, what happened on Saturday was unacceptable, outside the criteria of operation.

“The Premier League and PGMOL must consult with the home team to ensure this doesn’t happen in the future. The risk here is influence, added pressure. This top-class referee has his back to the players, and they don’t need to be involved in the interrogation process.

“The referee needs space to go through a difficult process. I do want the Premier League and PGMOL to ensure the protocol is delivered on. I hope this is being looked at today. It should not be allowed in the future.”

Eberechi Eze backed despite struggles

It’s been a difficult start to life at Arsenal for Eberechi Eze who hasn’t yet shown the form that led to his £67.5million transfer from Crystal Palace last month. The 27-year-old has just one goal and two assists in 11 games across all competitions with his lone strike coming in a 2-0 win against Port Vale in the EFL Cup.

The England star’s troubles in front of goal continued in the Gunners’ 1-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday with Eze substituted off in the 62nd minute. Despite his lack of end product, Arteta admitted he remains happy with what he’s seen from his deadline day signing and praised his performance against the Cottagers.

“He’s more used to attacking open spaces and breaks and facing and carrying the ball with space in front of him, he’s so good and comfortable doing that,” the Spaniard said after Saturday’s victory.

“He had his moments today, he put Viktor once or twice through in really good spaces and that maybe if it finished in a goal it would’ve looked a bit different. But I’m very happy with what he’s doing and we can use him in different positions. Today we used him in that one and we can carry on trying to improve.”

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