“He has a preferred movement” - Ex-Premier League manager who faced Gyokeres in Portugal shares advice to stop him after Arsenal switch

Braga manager Carlos Carvalhal opened up on his tactical set-up to try and stop new Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres. He explained how his side looked to minimize space and prevent the Swedish star from going into his favourite positions on the field to reduce his impact.

Carvalhal said (via The Guardian):

“He has a preferred movement – drifting from the centre out to the left wing,” Carvalhal says. “To neutralise that, we focused on maintaining balance on our right side – their left. Sporting would try to draw our right-back out of position to create space for Gyökeres. So we trained our right-back specifically to avoid being lured out. That way, Gyökeres always had to deal with him directly. As a result, we didn’t allow him many clear chances.”

Leading the line as part of a front three, Gyokeres has proved to be adept at running the channels, using his physicality to create space for himself and his teammates. The natural right-footer drifts often into the left half-spaces to generate opportunities for his side.

Carvalhal added:

“He is a very strong player in the area whenever there is a cross. We played with a very finely tuned sectorial tactic, keeping the four defenders really close together so he didn’t have space. It turned out well.”

Carvalhal's men enjoyed rare success against a dominant Sporting side last season, managing to hold them to a draw even though Gyokeres scored early in the game. The 27-year-old was firing on all cylinders for Sporting last term, collecting 39 goals and eight assists in 33 league games.

He has now completed a €73.5 million move to Arsenal, finishing the Gunners' long search for a centre-forward. Mikel Arteta's men suffered without a real option in the position towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign as Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus both suffered season-ending injuries.

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Reviewing Arsenal's business in this summer transfer window after they add Swedish star Gyokeres

Arsenal have continued their spending spree this summer, splurging a reported fee of €73.5 million to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres. The 27-year-old becomes the Premier League giants' sixth official signing in this transfer window.

Gyokeres is set to become a key option to lead the attack for Mikel Arteta's men this season, having impressed in Portugal, where he has scored 68 league goals in the last two years.

Alongside the 27-year-old, Arsenal have also bolstered their attack with the signing of winger Noni Madueke from Chelsea. Meanwhile, the arrival of Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard has strengthened their midfield, replacing the pair of Thomas Partey and Jorginho who both left after the expiry of their contracts.

Cover for their star centre-back pairing has also been secured with the signing of Christhian Mosquera from Valencia, while Kepa Arrizabalaga will be an able back-up for David Raya. Beyond this, Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, who is rumoured to have a £68 million release clause.

Edited by Nived Zenith