{"id":52671,"date":"2025-09-21T05:14:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T09:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/viktor-gyokeres-arsenal-striker-on-his-critics-and-that-celebration-as-he-prepares-to-face-manchester-city-football-news\/21\/09\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T05:14:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T09:14:59","slug":"viktor-gyokeres-arsenal-striker-on-his-critics-and-that-celebration-as-he-prepares-to-face-manchester-city-football-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/viktor-gyokeres-arsenal-striker-on-his-critics-and-that-celebration-as-he-prepares-to-face-manchester-city-football-news\/21\/09\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Viktor Gyokeres: Arsenal striker on his critics and THAT celebration as he prepares to face Manchester City | Football News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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“Nobody cared who I was until I put on the mask.”<\/em><\/p>\n

It is the famous quote from the arch-villain Bane in the most recent Batman trilogy that has inspired the last few years of Viktor Gyokeres’ career.<\/p>\n

It has not only inspired a celebration that has become iconic across European football, but an aura around the Swedish forward. He is a danger, someone to be feared.<\/p>\n

Gyokeres adopting that celebration during his days at Coventry marked a turning point for the forward. He went from a player who struggled in two loan spells at Swansea and the Sky Blues – to a 20-goal forward in the Championship.<\/p>\n

That form took him to Sporting CP in Portugal, where his 97 goals in 102 matches brought him to Arsenal and the Premier League.<\/p>\n

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\n Gyokeres’ celebration has been a turning point in his career
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“Yeah it makes sense a little bit with how things turned out for me!” Gyokeres tells Sky Sports – in an exclusive interview with Patrick Davison – about whether that goal celebration changed the course of his career.<\/p>\n

“After I started doing it, I started to score more goals. And it made me to do the mask more often.”<\/p>\n

Gyokeres’ journey to Arsenal’s main man up front has not been straight forward. It has been a winding path of ups and downs – across several countries including his native Sweden and Germany.<\/p>\n

It was in his home country when he received his first doubter in the form of a coach at Under-14s level.<\/p>\n

“It was quite early when I was in Sweden,” he recalls. “We had some matches in the district and I didn’t play so well – and he thought I didn’t look so bothered that I didn’t perform in that particular game.<\/p>\n

“He said I didn’t have the mental part to make it in football. That one stuck with me and I still remember it today.”<\/p>\n

The scrutiny has not stopped for Gyokeres, even after his \u00a363.5m move to Arsenal. Today, the 27-year-old still has his critics.<\/p>\n

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\n Gyokeres gained criticism for his displays against Liverpool and Man Utd
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He has silenced a few of them with three goals in four games – which matches up with his record in Portuguese football – but then the performances away at Liverpool and Manchester United left much to be desired.<\/p>\n

“It’s been different games,” he says about his start to Premier League life. “Some games have been tougher – where I couldn’t perform how I wanted. That’s maybe depending on how the game looked. But I had games where I felt very good.<\/p>\n

“So it’s been up and down but overall, I’ve managed to score a few goals and we won most of the games. So it’s been quite a good start, but it could be better.”<\/p>\n

After just one game – where Arsenal beat United 1-0 at Old Trafford – Gyokeres received criticism that he touched his hair more times than the ball. When he netted twice against Leeds six days later, he responded with a hair flick celebration of his own.<\/p>\n

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Arsenal forward Viktor Gyokeres discusses his hair flick celebration and whether it was in response to critics’ reaction to his debut performance against Manchester United.<\/span>
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So does Gyokeres listen to the critics?<\/p>\n

“You have to do your own thing, you have to adapt to where you’re playing,” he says. “You have to believe in yourself and keep going, no matter what happens – whether that’s on the pitch or outside.<\/p>\n

“I don’t think you have to take in what everyone around you says. You don’t have to listen to everything you hear.”<\/p>\n

Asked if the scrutiny is bigger here than in other parts of his career, the Arsenal striker replies: “Yeah maybe? When I played in Portugal there was also a lot of that. They live for football there as well.<\/p>\n

“So in one sense, it’s a bit similar but of course it’s much, much bigger here. They analyse everything you do. But that’s the way it is, there’s nothing wrong with that.<\/p>\n

“Maybe it isn’t my No 1 priority to read everything that’s being said or what people write. It’s just think about the things you can control and do those things right.<\/p>\n

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\n Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres has scored three goals in his first four Premier League games
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“Train everyday, play games and of course the things around that prepare you for the next game, the things where you can take care of your body. It’s those things – and of course try to switch off sometimes.”<\/p>\n

As Gyokeres says, he just has to adapt to life in England – and quickly. Even though he has experience of playing with England, he has uprooted his entire life to join Mikel Arteta’s squad.<\/p>\n

“You change a lot when you move to another country,” he says. “It goes quick and then the season starts after a few weeks and you have to sort everything out around you as well.<\/p>\n

“That’s the biggest change when you make a move like this, it’s nothing specific – just everything at once. It’s a normal thing, but you just have to adapt.”<\/p>\n

But there are some games where there is no time to adapt – such as the visit of Manchester City to the Emirates, live on Sky Sports on Super Sunday.<\/p>\n

The last time Gyokeres faced Pep Guardiola’s side, he scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 Champions League win for Sporting. And the 27-year-old is eyeing up another big performance.<\/p>\n

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\n Sunday 21st September 4:00pm
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“There are big teams in the Premier League where you have to perform in these games,” he says.<\/p>\n

“Those games, we look forward to and we want to win.”<\/p>\n

Watch Arsenal vs Man City live on Sky Sports this Sunday, kick-off 4.30pm<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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“Nobody cared who I was until I put on the mask.” It is the famous quote from the arch-villain Bane in the