David Seaman makes Viktor Gyokeres prediction after double for Arsenal against Atletico Madrid

David Seaman has jumped to Viktor Gyokeres’ defence and backed Arsenal’s marquee summer signing to become a real threat once he gets used to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.

Arsenal narrowed their search for a new striker down to just a few names before honing in on a £64million deal for Gyokeres, on the back of the Swede’s extraordinary title-winning season with Sporting.

Gyokeres took Portuguese football by storm with his phenomenal goalscoring exploits across his two years at Sporting, netting 97 times in just 102 appearances after joining from Coventry City.

As perhaps should be expected, Gyokeres has found life rather tougher in the Premier League and the 27-year-old has failed to score in his last four games for the Gunners in the top flight.

Gyokeres has, though, been praised for his work off the ball and the forward will no doubt be buoyed by his midweek performance in Arsenal’s 4-0 defeat of Atletico Madrid, in which he completed a second-half brace.

Mikel Arteta has repeatedly thrown his support behind Gyokeres and will be expected to continue with the attacker this weekend when top-of-the-table Arsenal return to Premier League action at home to Crystal Palace.

‘He’s getting used to the team, he’s getting used to his team-mates and he’s getting used to the pace of the Premier League,’ ex-Arsenal and England goalkeeper Seaman told talkSPORT when asked about Gyokeres’ start.

‘That’s something that a lot of players, especially the foreign guys, when they first come, they find it really difficult to get used to the pace and the physicality.

‘As we’ve seen, Gyokeres loves a bit of physical action in there so give him time.

‘He is getting better and better, he’s getting fitter and fitter and I’m sure there’s going to be more goals.’

Seaman is massively encouraged by Arsenal’s strength in depth this season and believes Arteta’s mixture of youth and experience stands the club in good stead in the title race.

‘Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are still to come back so there are still really good players to come back that are injured,’ he added.

‘But the guys on the bench, it’s quality, and that’s exactly what you need.

‘I think the squad is a good mix of experienced players and then young players and that’s what you always want.

‘You don’t want a team full of young players because you don’t know what you’re going to get – and then at the other end, it might be a little bit slower.

‘But the mix at Arsenal, at the moment, is fantastic.’

Arsenal’s threat in dead-ball situations has once again proven an invaluable weapon for Arteta this season, with ten of the club’s first 15 league goals coming from set-pieces.

‘It’s all about that delivery,’ Seaman – a two-time Premier League winner with Arsenal – explained.

‘Even [Bukayo] Saka said at the weekend that some of his deliveries were terrible and then he gets one right and we scored from it.

‘That’s what it has been like. The deliveries have been fantastic.

‘When you get success like that, it gives you more confidence to really get on the end of it with a flick-on at the near post or a direct header.

‘It gives you so much more confidence when that delivery is coming in with such pace.’

According to Seaman, much of Arsenal’s success this season can be attributed to the solid foundations they have built at the back.

‘They’re really confident. The unit is brilliant, they all seem to know what each other is doing as well,’ Seaman said of Arsenal’s defence.

‘The special thing about it, also, is when players come in, like when Myles Lewis-Skelly came in against Atletico Madrid, he knows what he’s doing, he knows what the back two are doing and it’s a great unit.

‘You’ve then got the confidence of David Raya at the back, who is fantastic with his feet but is also making some really crucial saves as well, so that backline is looking really good.’

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