Manchester United and Arsenal given Viktor Gyokeres transfer warning after Champions League schooling | OneFootball

Difficult night against Gabriel and William Saliba suggested Sporting striker still has things to work on ahead of potential Premier League move

But not in the manner they would have imagined, as Gyokeres suffered the ignominy of watching Arsenal defender Gabriel do it.

The Sporting striker brushed it off afterwards, saying: “He’s welcome to steal it if he can’t create his own celebration!”

The whole incident capped off a frustrating night for Gyokeres, who was expertly shackled by Gabriel and William Saliba.

Gyokeres was expertly shackled by Gabriel and William Saliba as Sporting lost 5-1 to Arsenal

AFP via Getty Images

The Arsenal defenders’ performances over the past 18 months have led to them being considered one of the best centre-back pairings in Europe and this was proof why.

Working in tandem, they forced Gyokeres to feed off scraps on a chastening evening for the striker.

Gabriel was the more dominant of the Arsenal pair, opting to get tight to Gyokeres when he could and taking him on physically. Saliba, as he so often does, swept behind and mopped up on the rare occasion his centre-back partner was beaten.

It was not until right at the death - when Gabriel had gone off due to a knock - that Gyokeres finally got some joy. With Jakub Kiwior on, Saliba was forced to press the Sporting striker and the Swede skipped past him before striking an effort onto the post.

That was a glimpse of what Gyokeres can offer and why he has become one of the most in-demand strikers heading into next summer’s transfer window.

For Gyokeres, this was a taste for him of what life in the Premier League could be like

Indeed, before last night, he has scored 33 goals in 25 games for club and country this season.

That is now 33 in 26 and, while Gabriel and Saliba will rightly be applauded for the way they stopped Gyokeres, it was a collective effort from Arsenal that halted him.

The returning Martin Odegaard has sparked the Arsenal attack into life - but he has also rejuvenated how they defend from the front. He leads their press and routinely covers more ground than anyone else.

The work he and the rest of the forward line do pins teams back and forces them to play long, which is food and drink for Gabriel and Saliba.

Sporting like to play out from the back and Arsenal pounced on that last night, closing them down high up the pitch to great success.

It eased the burden on Gabriel and Saliba, while Thomas Partey was also afforded an easier night’s work at the base of midfield.

For Gyokeres, one quiet game should not distract from his impressive body of work - but this was a taste for him of what life in the Premier League could be like.