Viktor Gyokeres ended his wait for another Premier League goal over the weekend as he helped power Arsenal towards a win over Burnley.
The striker has received mixed verdicts over his time with the Gunners so far, following his transfer in the summer.
For many, Viktor Gyokeres was viewed as the missing piece of the puzzle for Arsenal, a goal-scoring striker who could add a presence in the box.
So far, though, his scoring has factored lower than other skills, such as disrupting defences with his running and his overall hold-up play.
While his performance in Arsenal’s win over Burnley may well be his best yet, there is still one area that the forward is yet to convince Micah Richards and Gary Lineker in.
Gary Lineker and Micah Richards question whether Viktor Gyokeres can score against top teams
Viktor Gyokeres’ goal against Burnley took his Arsenal tally up to six goals this season across all competitions.
There has been something of a dry spell in the Premier League, however, with five games going by without a goal for the forward before he found the scoresheet again.
While it proved to be an important goal in the end, both Micah Richards and Gary Lineker now want to see his impact on games against Arsenal’s biggest rivals.
Richards said on The Rest Is Football podcast: “The question is going to be, Gyokeres, can he make the difference in the bigger games?
“Because right now, he’s doing so well for the team in terms of stretching, but he’s missing a lot of opportunities that maybe could go against him at the end of the season.
“I know they’ve got Kai Havertz to come back, but Gyokeres needs to be the difference against the bigger teams, the later stages of the Champions League, and when it gets really difficult in a league, you’re playing three times a week.
“If you have a Real Madrid in one week, you have a Man City, or whatever it may be, that needs to be the difference.”
It was something Lineker agreed with, as he added: “The criticism that people perhaps would say is that, I don’t want to call him a flat-track bully, that’s a bit unfair, because what he did in Portugal, he didn’t really score many goals against the top teams, and so far his [Premier League] goals have been against Burnley, [Nottingham] Forest and Leeds.
“So I take your point, I think he needs to do in some of the big games, but I think he’s had a reasonable start.
While Gyokeres hasn’t been quite as free-flowing with the goals as some would’ve expected, he is still having quite an impact on how the team plays.
Viktor Gyokeres’ record against the big six teams so far in the Premier League
Viktor Gyokeres’ goal-scoring record so far has left some wanting a little more, but recent performances suggest he is getting sharper and ready to hit a run of form again.
A goal against Burnley could help kick-start something for the striker, but he may only truly win people over when he does it against a big six side in the Premier League.
So far, he has failed to score against Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City, a record that is similar to what he faced in Portugal against the top sides.
That narrative could all change, however, as the end of November puts him in a position to impress.
An upcoming run that features the North London Derby against Tottenham and London rivals Chelsea, either side of playing Bayern Munich, could be the perfect time to find the back of the net.
That may largely depend on the injury to Gyokeres, with a recent muscular problem forcing him off against Burnley.
However, the setting is there for the Swedish international to hit the ground running after the international break.