Gyokeres 'excited' to prove worth to Arsenal and down Sporting after bitter exit

Viktor Gyokeres will be in the spotlight on Tuesday night when the Arsenal striker returns to ex-club Sporting Lisbon in the quarter finals of the Champions League

Viktor Gyokeres has got goals running through his veins ahead of his emotional return to Sporting Lisbon. Arsenal striker Gyokeres faces his old club for the first time since his protracted £64million transfer to the Emirates last summer.

It became an ugly saga at times before the deal eventually went through and that may mean the Sweden international may get a hot reception from the Sporting fans. But Mikel Arteta insists that Gyokeres is actually fired up and ready to embrace a big night for him personally and an even bigger night for Arsenal.

Gyokeres, 27, had a prolific two years at Sporting and has managed 17 goals in all competitions this season and will be full of confidence after his goal sent Sweden to the World Cup finals after they beat Poland in the play-offs.

Gunners boss Arteta said: “I mean, those are experiences that you put in your veins, I would say. And it doesn't get much better than putting your country into a World Cup with a goal that you scored. So that's still there, and that's going to be there for the rest of his career, like all the moments that he's here, the moments that he's creating for us.

“And that's the story that he's creating, and hopefully tomorrow he's going to show another very good side of himself. I think he's very excited. He's full of gratitude for his time here. The way he talks about the club, the players, the staff, everybody around the club. The experience that he had, how important that part of his journey in Sporting has been.”

Arsenal beat Sporting 5-1 in the Champions League last season in the group stage when Gyokeres was playing for his old club but was marked out of the game by William Saliba and Gabriel. But Arteta insisted that Arsenal had been watching Gyokeres for some time and he ticked all the boxes - and now he is proving his worth.

It undoubtedly took the former Brighton and Coventry striker time to settle at Arsenal and is probably still getting to grips with football at the very highest level. But Arteta says Gyokeres is exactly where he expected him to be - and now believes he can score the goals to deliver the trophies this season.

Arteta added: “Well, he's been on our radar for years, but the most recent moment when we really looked at him as one of the top targets was around December of last year, when we started to really think about, especially the issue that we had with Kai Havertz.

“He became one of the main candidates, and then the main candidate to be part of our club. I think it's where he is, and how successful the season is going to be for us, and when we analyse his season, it's going to be defined in the last seven or eight weeks of the season. That’s clear.”

Arteta also revealed that he has spoken to Gyokeres to get the inside track on Sporting with the Portuguese giants hoping to reach their first ever Champions League semi final.

Arteta believes they will face a much tougher test this time and said: “Of course I spoke to him, just to understand the dynamic, the culture here, the things that they have talked, and to have more information about them that we can use in our favour. A lot of qualities, obviously, what they're doing is remarkable, and the record that they had at home is just incredible. So, you need to be very good to maintain those levels of performance and consistency.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal keeper David Raya insists the squad can use the disappointment of losing their last two games in the Carabao Cup final and then being knocked out of the FA Cup at Southampton as “fuel.” Raya said: “Now that it’s gone we have to use that fuel, that pain that we had after the game to make sure we are ready for the rest of the season.

“I don’t think the word is pressure, it’s an opportunity to show what we are capable of to win the game. We are in a really good position in both competitions. It is that happiness out there you have to enjoy it over the next couple of months.

“We know it is going to be very tough, their record at home is really good. We are ready for it. We have to be together, enjoy being together, out there playing football, If you don’t it's not worth it. We have to focus on ourselves. It is a massive opportunity.

“Every game is an opportunity to show what team we are and what we want. We have to be ourselves. This team is ready for everything.”