Yorke: Gyokeres is fine, but he's far from world-class

Recently, Swedish football legend Schwarz and former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke both commented on Arsenal forward Zekeriya's performance, stating that the player has yet to fully adapt.

Earlier this season, Gyokeres went nine consecutive matches without scoring a goal, until he found the net three times in the final two games before the international break in November.

The Swedish international missed Arsenal's last two matches due to injury and remains a doubt for this weekend's North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

With Gyokeres currently sidelined by injury, former Swedish star Stefan Schwarz is concerned that his compatriot had been struggling with fitness issues even before his hamstring injury.

Schwarz stated that the "slightly overweight" Gyokeres needs to "lose weight to become lighter and more agile" and has already shown signs of "mental fatigue" from this high-profile transfer to the Premier League.

"I don't think Gyokeres has fully adapted yet," Schwarz, who helped Sweden finish third at the 1994 World Cup, told Hajper. "A new system, a new head coach, and new teammates all take time to build rapport with. This isn't just a physical issue—it's mental as well."

"Adapting to a new club, new expectations, and the higher demands from fans around the world can lead to mental tiredness."

"But this (Gyokeres and Arsenal) is a good partnership. Hopefully, this will definitely benefit the Swedish national team and Potter too."

"He's in a strong team. Arsenal are always competing for major trophies, and maybe he can help the team take that crucial step forward. Of course, every player is a piece of the puzzle."

"So everyone is important, but naturally, he has a strong presence. He's physically strong, has a robust build, and is a finisher capable of scoring with both feet."

"However, he needs to improve his physical condition. I think he's a good fit with Arteta and the teammates around him. This is an excellent squad."

"The quality shown by Arsenal's substitutes and the options they have mean Gyokeres won't play in every game, because I believe they have a wealth of good choices and can make tactical decisions from time to time based on the opponent or the situation in the match."

"Players in the Premier League are stronger and faster than those in other leagues."

"People always judge strikers by their goal tally. Hopefully, he can start creating chances, scoring goals, maintaining good momentum, and making real progress—plus losing weight to become lighter, since he's a slightly overweight player. I think that would help."

"He didn't go through a full pre-season preparation, and you need games to get into shape. You need those six weeks to interact with teammates and understand their movements."

"When midfielders are about to pass the ball, you only need to look at their eyes to know where the ball will go."

"This kind of understanding takes a bit of time to build, and football is all about the small details. Just look at Bergkamp—he was a master at this."

"Gyokeres will learn and score plenty of goals, which will be beneficial for Arsenal."

Meanwhile, Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke, after observing Gyokeres's performances at Arsenal, believes he is "not world-class."

Nevertheless, Yorke still expects Gyokeres to put up decent numbers in North London, largely because Arsenal often "dominate matches."

"Gyokeres is exactly what Arsenal needed," he said. "They needed a center-forward, and they got someone who can score goals—even though he hasn't been tested at this level yet."

"His start has been decent. He's a very good player, but not world-class. I prefer my center-forwards to be a bit more exciting than what he offers, but the style of play has changed, so he'll do well at Arsenal because they can dominate games."

"The Premier League isn't like leagues elsewhere in the world. It's not as easy as the Primeira Liga."

"He must have a strong personality, just like I did at Manchester United back in the day. When you walk in, you can't think any other player is better than you."

"It's simple. Once we stepped onto the pitch, I needed to show them I could play well. That's not arrogance—that's confidence in your own ability."

"As a striker, you carry expectations. I don't use the word 'pressure' because you're playing a game you know how to play. You're not doing something you don't know how to do."

"That's always been my mindset, and if Gyokeres has that attitude too, then I'll have a lot of respect for him. If he ends up just being an average member of Arsenal's squad, then he'll end up being mediocre."