\n<\/p>\n
Sporting CP boss Rui Borges insists that the style of play at Arsenal is to blame for Viktor Gyokeres\u2019 struggles at the Emirates Stadium.<\/p>\n
The Sweden international made the move from the Portuguese side to the north London outfit in the summer in a deal worth around \u00a363.5m.<\/p>\n
Gyokeres has scored 17 goals in 43 matches in all competitions for Arsenal<\/strong> this season and some supporters have been disappointed by his overall contributions.<\/p>\n The 27-year-old scored four goals in two matches for Sweden in the latest international break, while he scored the Gunners\u2019 only goal as Arsenal lost 2-1 to Southampton in the FA Cup over the weekend.<\/p>\n And Borges thinks Gyokeres\u2019 early struggles at Arsenal were down to the playing style under Mikel Arteta and he reckons the Swede will now start to thrive.<\/p>\n Borges said: \u201cI believe in the initial stage he had to adapt, given the style of play, and how Arsenal plays.<\/p>\n READ: The damning Mikel Arteta stat that promises Arsenal\u2019s biggest bottle job yet<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cBut he is still a great forward and now he is back to what he does well which is scoring goals.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring the first stage, the (Arsenal) fans were suspicious given what they paid for him, but little by little the truth came to the surface and he is a really great player and he will keep scoring goals.\u201d<\/p>\n The Sporting CP head coach thinks Gyokeres will receive a warm welcome from the Portuguese fanbase when he returns in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n Borges added: \u201cHe is a great player, and I am sure he will be welcomed by everyone because he marked the history of Sporting, and he deserves this acknowledgement.<\/p>\n \u201cI always try to be balanced, and I try to understand everyone. He had the ambition, and after talking to the management, they came to an understanding.<\/p>\n MORE ARSENAL COVERAGE ON F365\u2026<\/strong> \u201cSo ultimately everything that happened was correct for both sides; both Sporting and the player got what they wanted. He wanted to take that step in his career and we respect that.<\/p>\n \u201cPlayers will change, but the club stays the same, and Sporting will go on winning. I wish him all the best and I am sure he will be very welcome here because the admiration we have for him is great.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked if it was a good time to face the Premier League leaders given their recent poor form, Borges replied: \u201cNo, I don\u2019t believe that.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a great team, and great teams always want to win. They want to be in all competitions.<\/p>\n \u201cThey will be like a wounded beast tomorrow. They will be more focused, more willing to show their collective and individual capacity.<\/p>\n \u201cFrankly, I think it will make things more difficult for us the fact that they have not had the best two last matches. But Arsenal will be facing a very motivated team<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe we can do something extraordinary tomorrow, something that has never been done by Sporting.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n
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