Thierry Henry criticized Gyökeres for failure in the Champions League match.

Criticism from Thierry Henry

According to The Sun: Thierry Henry was not pleased with the actions of Viktor Gyökeres, who missed the chance to put Arsenal ahead in the match against Athletic Bilbao.

The Swede, wearing the number 14 shirt that belonged to Henry, had an early opportunity to shoot but fired straight at goalkeeper Unai Simon.

Player's prospects and Henry's opinion

Comparing with the efficiency of Gabriel Martinelli, who later scored, Henry expressed criticism towards Gyökeres.

“I spoke about Gyökeres and how, if you remember, when I stopped, Martinelli was going past defenders [and scored]. That’s what he needs to add to his game. There is no reason why a defender should be able to catch you.”

Gyökeres had another quiet match and was substituted after an hour of play, having only 19 touches of the ball and six successful passes.

He was replaced by Leandro Trossard, who scored Arsenal's second goal, securing the win. Gyökeres took a serious hit to the head and played for a while with a hefty bandage on his forehead.

He made four attempts despite limited involvement, but Henry wanted to see more clinical precision.

“He is obviously going to be offside. I am trying to say that the ball should go here [past the defender]. There’s no reason why those guys should catch you if you deal well with the ball.”

“He should have had one breakaway [on goal]. If he misses, then he misses. But he needs to have the chance.”

When Micah Richards asked if it was a matter of confidence, Henry replied: “Yes, yes. We all know he scores, but away it has to be a goal.”

“Martinelli did it with a goal, and he didn’t have the space that [Gyökeres] had. He didn’t take the ball properly.”

Demand from Arsenal

“Now let’s be honest, something needs to be won this year. You cannot hide.”

“You need to win something. Speaking of what has been done recently, second place never brings a trophy. It’s great, but at some point you have to confirm what you’re doing.”

Arsenal players ratings against Athletic Club

The second half of the match proved successful for Arsenal, as the substitution inspired the team to victory in their Champions League campaign.

Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard came on as substitutes, both scoring and assisting, helping Arsenal secure their first three points in the group stage.

Mikel Arteta was forced to turn to his bench as his team suffered from a lack of creativity without Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard.

Champions League debutants Ebere Eze and Noni Madueke failed to make the night unforgettable on a personal level.

Henry’s words regarding Gyökeres show that Arsenal expects greater activity and productivity from the players on the field. Demands on the players are rising, especially in the context of their fight for trophies, and with critics like Henry, it is worth paying attention to. Arsenal has a chance for success, but the team needs to heed these comments to improve their results in future matches.