Arsenal legend sends Viktor Gyokeres message over famous shirt after win

Viktor Gyokeres has been reminded of the weight that comes with wearing Arsenal’s famous No.14 shirt by the man who made it iconic, Thierry Henry. The Sweden international joined from Sporting CP in the summer and opted for the number long associated with Henry, who remains the club’s all-time leading scorer. Gyokeres arrived at the Emirates on the back of an extraordinary season in Portugal, scoring 54 goals in 52 matches, but he has found his first few months in England more testing. Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid offered a glimpse of his potential, though, as he struck twice in a 4-0 victory that underlined Arsenal’s growing momentum under Mikel Arteta. Henry, who scored 226 goals in 370 games for Arsenal, was on punditry duty and offered a mixture of humour and challenge as he addressed the striker after the game. "Viktor Gyokeres, number 14 at Arsenal is not my number. It's the number I used, you can have it, you have it. Please honor it, score goals," Henry told CBS Sports."That's all we need. But you can have my number, I mean my phone number. I can send it to you later." It was a light-hearted exchange but one that served to underline the expectations that come with inheriting such a storied shirt. Gyokeres, speaking after the final whistle, was clear about his own ambitions in north London. "We want to win trophies and I want to contribute with goals and to improve my game in terms of playing also," he said on CBS. "League and Champions League sounds alright for me." Arsenal's recent form suggests he could have the platform to do just that as Arteta's side are unbeaten in nine games in all competitions and have strung together six consecutive victories, scoring freely while tightening up defensively. Gyokeres has so far managed five goals in 12 appearances, and while the start has not been explosive, his brace against Atletico pointed to a forward beginning to adapt to the demands of the Premier League and the Champions League.