MIKEL ARTETA CLAIMS VIKTOR GYOKERES HAS FINALLY HIT "THE HIGHEST LEVEL"
Viktor Gyokeres’ late double pushed Arsenal nine points clear at the top as Mikel Arteta hails the striker’s confidence and form.
Mikel Arteta says Viktor Gyokeres has hit “the highest level” after his two late goals in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Sunderland.
Martin Zubimendi got Arsenal going with a great opener in the first half at the Emirates. Then, just six minutes after coming off the bench, Gyokeres scored his first. He added another in stoppage time, wrapping up a win that pushes Arsenal nine points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
Gyokeres has taken some heat during his first season in north London. Still, after this brace, he’s scored four goals in his last four games and six in his last eight.
Arteta didn’t hold back: “Confidence is the magic word. When you’re confident, when you feel important, when you’re at your best, that’s when you can really play at the top level.
“We’re right behind him, every step of the way, supporting him. He’s delivering now, and he’s in a great place.
“Wearing this shirt comes with a lot of responsibility and huge expectations. You have to live with that.
“On this journey, you’ll have good spells and tough ones too.
“With Viktor, it’s tough to read his emotions—he just looks you right in the eye. He doesn’t show much, whether things are going well or not. He’s always pushing himself, always trying to get better.
“I love his attitude—the way he approaches each day, stays focused on what he needs to do, and really wants to help the team, no matter what role he plays.”
Arsenal are now in a strong spot to win their first league title since 2004, with 39 points still up for grabs in the last 13 games.
Manchester City have to beat Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday just to cut Arsenal’s lead back to six points.
But when someone asked Arteta what this latest victory means for the title chase, he just shrugged it off. “Nothing. We still have so many games to win to get what we want.
“Tonight, I’ll have a nice dinner. Tomorrow, I start thinking about Brentford—because that won’t be easy.
“And while I’m at it, I’ll be watching a huge game between Liverpool and City.”
Sunderland have surprised a lot of people this season, but this was their third loss in four matches.
Their manager, Regis Le Bris, said, “Right after halftime we had chances to get back in it, but we didn’t take them—and when you don’t do that against a team like Arsenal, one of the best in England and Europe, the game slips away.”
HOW EBERECHI EZE’S MONTH-LONG INJURY BLOW RESHAPES ARSENAL’S TREBLE PURSUIT
Arsenal playmaker Eberechi Eze is out for six weeks with a calf injury, missing the Champions League and FA Cup.
Arsenal’s hopes for a historic treble took a real hit with the news about Eberechi Eze. He’s out for at least a month, maybe longer, after picking up a serious calf injury at a pivotal point in the season. Honestly, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Mikel Arteta now has to face some tough fixtures without one of his key creative forces.
The BBC reports Eze will miss four to six weeks after getting injured in the Champions League win against Bayer Leverkusen. He already sat out Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City and pulled out of international duty. Arteta is still waiting for a full assessment from the medical team, but either way, the timing stings. Arsenal is chasing silverware in the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup, and losing Eze now is just brutal. On the bright side, captain Martin Odegaard is nearing his return from a knee injury, which should take some pressure off in midfield.
Eze has been a huge part of Arsenal’s attack this season. Before his injury, he played in 43 matches – two for Crystal Palace before his late-August move and the rest for Arsenal. He’s racked up nine goals and six assists for the Gunners, cementing himself as a key figure up front. In the Premier League, he’s appeared 26 times and contributed six goals and two assists. His Champions League stats are solid, too: one goal and two assists in nine games.
With Eze out, England manager Thomas Tuchel called up Harvey Barnes from Newcastle United. Barnes is in red-hot form, with 14 goals across all competitions, and this move finally ends his nearly six-year absence from international play and shuts down any talk he might switch to Scotland.
Looking ahead, Arteta has a rough road without his star playmaker. Arsenal sits at the top with 70 points, nine clear of Manchester City (though City still have a game in hand). The team returns after the international break with an FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton on April 4. Three days later, they head to Sporting CP for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. Then, there’s a massive Premier League clash with Pep Guardiola’s squad on April 19. It’s a brutal stretch; Arsenal’s depth is about to be tested like never before.
WHY MIKEL ARTETA RISKED ARSENAL’S QUADRUPLE ON KEPA ARRIZABALAGA’S CUP LOYALTY
Jamie Carragher criticizes Mikel Arteta for starting Kepa Arrizabalaga over David Raya in Arsenal's 2-0 cup loss.
Jamie Carragher has voiced criticism of Mikel Arteta’s choice to stick with Kepa Arrizabalaga for the Carabao Cup final, especially after the Arsenal keeper’s error paved the way for Man City’s opening goal. At Wembley, Kepa failed to hold onto a cross from Rayan Cherki, which allowed Nico O'Reilly to score around the 60th minute. Not long after, O’Reilly doubled the lead for City, who held on to their 2-0 advantage and claimed their first domestic trophy of the season.
Despite this, Arteta stood by Kepa’s selection over David Raya, his usual first-choice keeper, saying he would make the same decision again. Kepa had been trusted throughout Arsenal’s run to the final, but Carragher wasn’t convinced this was the right call. Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Liverpool defender argued that Arteta had underestimated what was at stake: ending a long trophy drought for the Gunners.
Carragher expressed a clear dislike for playing the second-choice keeper in such important matches but admitted he could see when it might be acceptable. Still, his main point was that Arteta owes the fans the best possible chance of winning, especially considering Arsenal have only picked up one trophy in almost a decade. He sees the role of a backup goalkeeper as someone who can help in earlier rounds, but believes the final demands the strongest lineup.
“Playing the second goalkeeper in the final doesn’t make sense when the club hasn’t won enough trophies,” Carragher said. “Arsenal needs to do everything to finish the job, and that means putting in its best players, regardless of previous arrangements. The loyalty should be to the supporters more than to Kepa.”
Carragher also drew comparisons with Man City’s approach. Pep Guardiola started James Trafford over Gianluigi Donnarumma in the final, and despite Kepa’s error, Carragher saw a key difference. He argued that Guardiola owed Trafford a chance because he was originally signed to be the first-choice before being replaced mid-season, and the pressure on City to win wasn’t as pressing given their recent success.
“The situation with Trafford is distinct,” Carragher explained. “He came in for that role, but Donnarumma arrived as a late upgrade. Plus, Man City has won this competition several times recently, so the urgency isn’t comparable.”
He also mentioned players like Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher, who was trusted in finals because the club was determined to keep him, highlighting that Kepa’s background is different; he joined as a backup and hasn’t quite proven he’s at the top level, something Arsene Wenger hinted at during his Chelsea days as well.
Carragher emphasised that swapping Kepa for Raya isn’t a simple No. 2-for-No. 1 change. He pointed out that Raya has arguably been Arsenal’s standout player this season, so leaving him out for a crucial final means benching one of the team’s best, which is a risky move given their recent lack of silverware.
Arteta, meanwhile, defended his decision by noting that he never promised Kepa a spot in all cup games but acknowledged the Spaniard had earned his place through his performances up to the final. He said errors are part of football, and, though unfortunate, this one came at a crucial moment.
“I have to be honest and fair,” Arteta said after the match. “Kepa played every game in this competition so far, and changing that now wouldn’t have been right for him or the team. Players have to earn their place, and based on what Kepa showed during this run, I believe keeping him was the right call.”
