Shearer backs Gyökeres amid Arsenal goal drought

Alan Shearer defended Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres on Monday, saying the Sweden international has already added a useful dimension to the team despite a growing goal drought that extended through the club's 1-0 win over Fulham on Saturday. Gyökeres, who joined Arsenal in the summer, scored early in his tenure but has failed to find the net in recent matches, prompting renewed scrutiny of his adaptation to the Premier League.

Gyökeres arrived at Arsenal with a strong goalscoring reputation from his time in Portugal and struck three times in his first handful of league appearances for the club. Those early strikes have been followed by a run without a goal in seven matches across all competitions, a sequence that included a miscued close-range effort in the Fulham game that drew criticism of his composure and technique. Some commentators and former players have suggested the striker must rediscover his scoring touch if Arsenal are to sustain their title charge.

Shearer acknowledged those concerns but stressed Gyökeres contributes in ways that are not captured solely by goals. "He's not in the league of the three we showed in the previous clip — Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and...