When people say he’s not World Class, it just makes me question what they’re watching exactly. Proper Old school defender that rarely lose concentration or switch off in games. He’s aggressive, dominant in duels, excellent in the air, physically imposing and a serious threat from set pieces. I think people have become too obsessed with ball playing ability when judging centre-l backs that they overlook the actual art of defending.

One thing to notice is Gyokeres has actually been improving his link up play. He had 17 touches today, created 3 key passes and 1 big chance, yet didn’t register a shot on target. While he has improved his own game, Arsenal’s attacking structure must also improve in a way that creates more chances for their striker, especially in the box. There’s a difference between having a striker who isn’t contributing enough and having a striker who isn’t getting enough of the right service. Arsenal can dominate possession and move the ball into dangerous areas, but they need to be more deliberate about creating situations where Gyokeres can attack crosses, run in behind or receive the ball in scoring positions. Too often, the striker risks becoming disconnected from the attacking play while the creative responsibility falls on the players around him. The link up improvement is great, but it has to translate into more goalscoring chances. Gyokeres needs to do more, certainly, but Arteta must also build an attacking structure that maximises his strengths.