How Viktor Gyokeres can force Arsenal rethink as it all comes together for striker

The battle to be Arsenal's starting striker has too often resembled a pillow fight in recent weeks.

Kai Havertz has been well off his best since the international break, while Viktor Gyokeres has struggled to make an impression when given his opportunities.

Here it finally all came together in a superb performance. From the opening minutes against Slavia Prague, Gyokeres was holding the ball up, linking attacks, and playing with the kind of delicate subtlety that has been in short supply in his Arsenal career.

He assisted Noni Madueke's opener with a clever ball in behind and from there his confidence only rose.

When David Raya hammered a pass out, Gyokeres flicked it round the corner on the half volley to Hincapie. There were deft touches to combine with Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino too.

Gyokeres then got himself on the scoresheet with a brilliant passage of play. He laid the ball off to Merino, peeled into space, and when the ball came back to him the finish was sensational. With minimal back-lift, he curled in off the far post.

It was not just Gyokeres' confidence that visibly grew, but the trust his team-mates had in him too. Suddenly Eze was seeking him out with intricate one-twos, backheeling into space.

The striker finished the half with 19 touches, more than he has often managed in full matches.

The context of the match helped. Slavia were poor. Arsenal bullied them, competing with a physicality and playing with a direct intent that their hosts simply could not live with.

Madueke and Eze were both electric and ran their full-backs ragged. There was space on offer and Arsenal ruthlessly exploited it.

However, there have been plenty of matches in the past that Arsenal have dominated and yet Gyokeres has still been a passenger, struggling to even register a shot or a meaningful touch. This time, he was central to all that was positive about Arsenal's display.

That is not to say it was perfect. A couple of passes through to Madueke were too rushed, when a more composed decision would have had Arsenal in on goal.

Here it finally all came together in a superb performance

Arteta will be concerned by that and the casual manner in which Arsenal approached the second half. Their game management was unusually poor and they played like a team that had no regard for what Slavia had to offer.

However, the Arsenal manager will far happier with what Gyokeres produced, particularly in that first half.

There is no question that Arteta's thinking, especially in the biggest games, normally falls towards Havertz. Play like this consistently and Gyokeres can force a rethink.