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The Gunners are experiencing a strong start to the season, securing victories in eight from their opening ten games, however it hasn't proven quite as easy for recent striker Viktor Gyokeres.

Following 3 goals during his initial 4 games, this £64m acquisition hasn't found the net in 6 matches, with manager Mikel Arteta revealing he offered the Sweden forward a hug after Saturday's two-nil win over the Hammers for his contributions.

Playing Time & Squad Dynamics

The Swedish striker has played 90 minutes in six from Arsenal's first 10 matches - beyond Arteta initially intended him to play, with the knee injury to Kai Havertz limiting the capacity Arteta possesses to rest the 27-year-old.

Havertz is one of the manager's key players while there is an argument to be made that the German would have started instead of Gyokeres during important away fixtures versus Liverpool - the Gunners' only loss of the season - Newcastle United plus Manchester United, games that they emerged victorious from.

There is also the reality the striker didn't undergo complete pre-season prior to arriving, and missed squad sessions with his former club as he looked to force through a transfer to north London.

Goal-Scoring History & Expectations

However the Swedish international represents a immediate impact addition, that scored ninety-seven times across 102 games for Sporting during two seasons with the Portuguese team.

His drought in scoring are not an issue since Arsenal are securing victories at the moment, yet he represents an athlete who was brought to the club to help the team over the line as they try to secure their first title after 2020.

Manager's Viewpoint & Team Integration

The Arsenal manager has shown recognition of the striker's effort during the opening matches and showered compliments on the striker for his work which often goes unnoticed whenever the opportunity has arisen itself.

In the aftermath of Arsenal's victory against the Greek side, he called the striker's performance "exceptional" while commended the player's "work-rate".

At the time Arsenal signed the Swedish international, existed a feeling his inclusion would create the space for the multiple offensive players Arsenal possess behind him including Martin Odegaard, the English winger, the creative midfielder plus Gabriel Martinelli.

Statistical Analysis

Arsenal have changed their approach this season to move the ball between the lines more quickly while have adapted their tactics to be more vertical.

This is partially to extract the maximum from the Swedish striker, who does not look to drop deeper and connect passes like the German, but whose primary attribute is felt to be making runs through the two centre-backs and into the space in behind.

Observing Arsenal currently, it can be seen the central players are attempting to find passes that could free Gyokeres for a chance.

This is shown by the twenty-three chances Gyokeres has received, however he has merely managed seven attempts on goal from those opportunities in 10 games, including one being from a spot-kick.

Tactical Adjustments & Squad Backing

The Gunners had difficulty to penetrate opponents employing defensive setup last season as they faded during the championship pursuit, so their revised approach is designed to damage the opposition by playing quickly.

Arsenal are likewise crossing more regularly with increased frequency to create more chances.

One of Gyokeres' three goals this season originated from the penalty spot but this occurred when Saka had already been replaced in the five-nil win against United.

The manager stated Gyokeres represents the best spot-kick specialist in the squad in an interview with the sports network, yet the duty fell to Saka that took the spot-kick in the victory over West Ham while both were present on the field, suggesting the English attacker could be first choice for penalties this season.

Teammate Encouragement & Confidence

The Arsenal winger, that completed his two hundredth Premier League appearance with the Gunners during the victory on Saturday, has expressed confidence in Gyokeres to thrive.

"In my opinion Viktor's playing really, really well," the Englishman said post-game against West Ham.

"There's no doubt he will find the net. The contributions he's bringing to this team, we as his team-mates, we are extremely grateful of what he delivers - the manner he retains possession, how he makes the runs, the danger he provides us.

"He's a significant component why we're securing victories in these matches. His goals will arrive. We know that, we're confident while we believe in his abilities. I don't think there's any doubts. He's still up, he continues to be happy and he's still giving maximum effort each match."

Future Prospects Regarding Gyokeres

It's reasonable to say it has not been the most straightforward beginning for Gyokeres, but this doesn't imply there aren't signs to show situations will get improved.

Gyokeres started the season attempting to recover with his conditioning after a disrupted pre-season.

The German's injury has resulted in him being thrust into situations sooner than possibly planned - this has also caused the connections with midfielders behind him that have not fully developed are being highlighted.

The striker is a eager movement maker while consistently looks for {space|g