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Viktor Gyokeres: Arsenal striker has best game for club since joining with two-goal display vs Tottenham

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Viktor Gyokeres: Arsenal striker has best game for club since joining with two-goal display vs Tottenham - Sky Sports
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There are still a lot of questions about Arsenal, the title race and what is to come from them in the run-in this season. But one thing is absolutely certain: Viktor Gyokeres had his best game for the club against Tottenham.

Mikel Arteta, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp all felt the Arsenal striker hit a new level in one of Arsenal's biggest games of the season. His two second-half goals saw him share the stage with Eberechi Eze and his own brace, but there was much more to Gyokeres' game than that.

"I thought it was his best moment of the season," said Neville. "Not just because he scored two in a game against the biggest rivals and had a wonderful celebration over there with the Arsenal fans, but because his general performance from start to finish is what you would expect from him."

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In his display at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Gyokeres had the most touches he's managed in a single game since joining Arsenal, by quite a distance. He was more involved - but, crucially, those touches led to substantial output.

Gyokeres was central to Arsenal's threat on the night. He nearly gave the Gunners the lead within minutes as he curled a first half shot wide of goal in that left channel - after being given too much space by Radu Dragusin.

It was a warning sign of what was to come - as, again, minutes into the second period he was given the space to fire from the edge of the box to put Arsenal 2-1 up.

"We do that move a few times in training," said Gyokeres to Sky Sports after the game - before saying he took note of Eze's strikes in the reverse fixture against Spurs as inspiration for it.

After all, they all came in the same area of the pitch. Edge of the box, middle of the goal.

For Eze, the feeling was mutual, as Arsenal's No 10 admitted his own two-goal performance would not have been possible without Gyokeres. "Vik was doing it all game, you can see his work ethic," Eze told Sky Sports.

"He helps the team, not just with his goals but the effort he puts in. It gets players like me in the best positions and it helps a lot. He's got his two goals today which he deserves."

That's not the first time an Arsenal player has spoken about how underrated Gyokeres is at bringing others into play in a selfless manner.

After the 3-2 win against Bournemouth in January, Declan Rice paid tribute to Gyokeres for taking defenders away so the England midfielder could score on the south coast.

"With my first goal, without him making that run from Gabriel Martinelli's flick and holding it, setting it off to Martin Odegaard, that goal wouldn't happen," Rice said at the time. "That was a pivotal moment in the game."

That is because of a few reasons. Firstly, Gyokeres attracts other defenders like no other Premier League player. Tracking data from this season shows the Arsenal striker is afforded the least amount of space when he's available to be given the ball.

And that means he can't spin away from defenders, so is forced to hold the ball up. Gyokeres has held the ball up more times than any other Premier League player this season. Only two Premier League players have retained the ball more times.

"It's tough for him, because he's got two defenders on him all game, all over him," Rice added in January. "So he has to use his strength, he has to do all he can to help the team.

"But at the minute, defenders in the Premier League want to be able to stop Viktor Gyökeres, because he's one of the best strikers in the world. Trust me, he's doing unbelievably for us, and we wouldn't be where we are without him."

What we saw against Spurs was what happens if you give Gyokeres too much space to manoeuvre. The first goal he had time to fire in from the edge of the box. The second goal saw him with green grass to move into with Spurs committing bodies forward.

Gyokeres won't get that every game. As Redknapp said: "It was almost hard to assess because of how poor Tottenham were."

But it will be crucial as Arsenal play high-profile games in the season run-in. Like Spurs did on Sunday, teams will step onto Arteta's side a bit more in cup games and Europe. As will Manchester City in that crucial league game in April.

Gyokeres' two goals against Spurs now means he has more Premier League goals than any other player in 2026 in all competitions.

With four goals in his last five Premier League games - and seven in his last 12 matches in all competitions for the Gunners - he seems to be getting the goals his overall play has merited.

If Gyokeres remains consistent, he will be crucial for Arsenal as they fight on all four fronts. "He needs to kick on from that," said Neville. "He set himself a level there today."

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Tottenham handed relegation warning after Arsenal thrashing in North London derby plunges them further into trouble

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Tottenham handed relegation warning after Arsenal thrashing in North London derby plunges them further into trouble - Sky Sports
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Jamie Redknapp says Arsenal are in a different league to Tottenham following the Gunners' 4-1 win on Sunday - and has warned that could become reality with the threat of relegation looming.

New Spurs boss Igor Tudor said his team will "100 per cent" avoid relegation this season but suffered an emphatic defeat to their north London rivals at home in his first game in charge, meaning they remain in 16th, four points above the bottom three.

Spurs are winless in the top-flight in 2026 with 11 games remaining in the Premier League campaign.

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Doubles from Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze secured bragging rights on Sunday, moving five points clear at the top of the table in the process, with Arsenal fans chanting "we'll never play you again" from the away end at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"They were magnificent today. You just felt there was control about this Arsenal side," Redknapp said on Sky Sports.

"It was a complete mismatch. They were in different leagues, Arsenal were so classy. They were so much better than Tottenham; it was like two different leagues.

"If Tottenham aren't careful, they might be in a different league. They cannot keep performing like this.

"They have not won a game in 2026 [in the league]; it is a team devoid of personality. They've had a personality bypass. They have to somehow show some character. They cannot carry on every year like this.

"Arsenal were fantastic, too good for Tottenham."

Tudor: We didn't do enough, Arsenal were much better

Tudor's first game in charge offered a harsh reminder of the current problems plaguing Tottenham, such as the 11 senior players missing due to injury or suspension, while also highlighting the chasm that separates them from their north London rivals.

"I'm sad because we didn't do enough. Arsenal was much better," Tudor told Sky Sports after the game.

"This time there was too much gap between the two teams. Even the physical problems we made to make 11 players [on the pitch] plus three [substitutes].

"It's good to show and see this kind of team [like Arsenal], to show us where we need to be. It shows work and hard, because we struggle in a lot of things.

"Psychologically, we need to come out of this moment, the only way is work. Stay quiet, stay humble. And look in the future day by day, growing and growing day by day and week. It's too strong in this moment.

"We need to work. There were too many bad habits in the past. Each of us, each part of the team needs to look at ourselves, grow and be humble. It's all about work. We need to run more, work win duels and second balls.

"We prepared this for four or five days, but they were faster.

"The players showed their passion, they wanted to run and they wanted to do. But we pressed high and don't arrive and take the ball, they are stronger, they have more power and energy. They believe more, that's the key in the end. That's it. Take the lessons."

Despite the defeat, Tudor remains confident he will guide the club to safety. He added: "Of course I am confident. These are players who are a good group with bad habits.

"Nobody can tell me we don't have quality. But we need to change, a mental switch and have this mental sharpness to be in the game from the first and second minutes. And have the physicality.

"One or two players did not have good moments, but today it can happen. Too many players had problems. That's the result."

Van de Ven: Arsenal were the better team

Spurs defender Micky van de Ven echoed the claims made by Redknapp after admitting the better side walked away with bragging rights on Sunday afternoon.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "I think Arsenal overall was the better team. In the first half we were still in the game, it was 1-1. Two minutes into the second half, they scored to make it 2-1 and after that it was really difficult.

"I think maybe sometimes in the press we could have done a bit better. We pressed them quite high but Arsenal came out of it a few times and it's difficult to come back quick.

"Today, they were just the better team, they created way more than us.

"It's a risk when you press up high and go man v man. If one guy is too late, you're going to be open. It's the way you have to deal with it. But when you press high and win it, there are so many chances to score.

"But the opposite, when they come out, it's a big risk."

When asked if Spurs are in a relegation battle with just 11 games to go in the Premier League season, Van de Ven added: "We just need to win the games. Step by step we need to look, next up is Fulham and that's the most important one for us."

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