{"id":3153,"date":"2026-04-07T07:18:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T07:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/?p=3153"},"modified":"2026-04-07T07:18:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T07:18:20","slug":"sporting-boss-blames-arsenal-for-viktor-gyokeres-struggles-and-makes-prediction-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/?p=3153","title":{"rendered":"Sporting boss blames Arsenal for Viktor Gyokeres struggles and makes prediction | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\t\t\"Arsenal\t<\/div>
Viktor Gyokeres joined Arsenal from Sporting last summer (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sporting manager Rui Borges believes Arsenal\u2019s style of play was the reason for the \u2018initial\u2019 struggles that Viktor Gyokeres went through following his \u00a364m summer transfer.<\/p>\n

Gyokeres arrived at the Emirates Stadium as one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe, having netted 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting.<\/p>\n

Mikel Arteta hoped the Sweden international would take Arsenal to another level and help the Gunners win major trophies after several near misses.<\/p>\n

Arsenal are indeed closing in on their first Premier League title since 2004 and enjoying another deep Champions League run, but Gyokeres has not been a prolific presence in the team.<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old has scored a respectable but far from game-changing 11 goals in the league and received criticism from a number of pundits for his general play.<\/p>\n

Sporting boss Borges says Arsenal fans were initially \u2018suspicious\u2019 of Gyokeres but believes the striker has already shown he is a \u2018great player\u2019 who will \u2018keep scoring goals\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018I believe in the initial stage he had to adapt, given the style of play, and how Arsenal plays,\u2019 Borges said.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"FBL-EUR-C1-SPORTING-PRESSER\"\t<\/div>
Sporting manager Rui Borges (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018But he is still a great forward and now he is back to what he does well which is scoring goals.<\/p>\n

\u2018During the first stage, the (Arsenal) fans were suspicious given what they paid for him, but little by little the truth came to the surface and he is a really great player and he will keep scoring goals.\u2019<\/p>\n

Gyokeres returns to his former club on Tuesday night as Arsenal face Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.<\/p>\n

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Arteta\u2019s \u00a364m signing could receive a hostile welcome given how hard he pushed for a move last summer but Borges hopes he is not targeted by the Sporting fans.<\/p>\n

\u2018He is a great player, and I am sure he will be welcomed by everyone because he marked the history of Sporting, and he deserves this acknowledgement,\u2019 Borges added.<\/p>\n

\u2018I always try to be balanced, and I try to understand everyone. He had the ambition, and after talking to the management, they came to an understanding.<\/p>\n

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\u2018So ultimately everything that happened was correct for both sides; both Sporting and the player got what they wanted. He wanted to take that step in his career and we respect that.<\/p>\n

\u2018Players will change, but the club stays the same, and Sporting will go on winning. I wish him all the best and I am sure he will be very welcome here because the admiration we have for him is great.\u2019<\/p>\n

Arsenal visit Sporting having suffered back-to-back defeats in their last two games, losing to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final before an FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Southampton.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Southampton\t<\/div>
Southampton stunned Arsenal last time out (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Asked if is is an ideal time to face the Premier League leaders for a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League, Borges said: \u2018No, I don\u2019t believe that.<\/p>\n

\u2018It is a great team, and great teams always want to win. They want to be in all competitions.<\/p>\n

\u2018They will be like a wounded beast tomorrow. They will be more focused, more willing to show their collective and individual capacity.<\/p>\n

\u2018Frankly, I think it will make things more difficult for us the fact that they have not had the best two last matches. But Arsenal will be facing a very motivated team<\/p>\n

\u2018We believe we can do something extraordinary tomorrow, something that has never been done by Sporting.\u2019<\/p>\n

While Arsenal go into the Champions League quarter-final sitting top of the Premier League, Sporting are second in the Portuguese top-flight, five points behind Porto with a game in hand.<\/p>\n

Sporting finished seventh in the Champions League group stage and beat Bodo-Glimt 5-3 in the round-of-16 despite losing the first leg 3-0.<\/p>\n

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