Manager Mikel Arteta has called on Victor Goqueres and his Arsenal teammates to accept the noise surrounding the team, but insisted it has finally “sparked” for the Swedish striker in north London.
The Gunners have the chance to temporarily move seven points clear of Manchester City in the title race if they win away at Bournemouth, ahead of a blockbuster showdown between second-placed City and Chelsea, which will be broadcast live on Saturday Night Football and also live on Sky Sports on Sunday.
Josep Guardiola’s side stumbled at the Stadium of Light last time out, ending in a frustrating goalless draw with Sunderland, but Arsenal made their intentions clear against Aston Villa.
The resounding 4-1 victory over Unai Emery’s side, who had been betting on outsiders to compete for the title until their disastrous defeat at the top of the league, was a statement of intent from Arteta’s men.
But despite the gap opening again in the top flight, Arteta insists his side refuse to bow to expectations from outside the dressing room and will use it to their advantage ahead of their clash with Cherries, who won the league double last season.
Saturday, January 3rd, 5pm
5:30pm kickoff
“The noise is good because it means you’re where you want to be,” he told Sky Sports News.
“Competing for big trophies is going to create debate and emotion. We can learn from all that (noise). The demands we have now are very natural.”
Arteta: Get used to Victor’s noise, it will click eventually.
The noise is not limited to the whole squad, with Gokeres being part of Arteta’s squad and feeling the full force of the “arguments and emotions” the manager referred to.
Gokeres, a summer hotshot who scored 97 goals in just 102 games for Portugal and arrived from Sporting for £63.5 million, has struggled since arriving in north London.
His five goals in 22 games is far from the level that both he and his manager knew he could reach. But Arteta called on the striker to be open to talks, insisting that ultimately talks at the Emirates would “work out” for him.
Victor Gokeres’ stats at Arsenal rank in the Premier League
The Arsenal manager continued: “There’s going to be a lot of noise around him for the next five years.
“From day one, you sign as an Arsenal No. 9 because of the background he has and the expectations he has at Arsenal, and that never goes away. That’s life as an Arsenal No. 9.”
“When you put on the shirt there is an expectation. He knows that and it was part of the plan. I see him training every day and I can feel in the meetings how much he wants to do well.”
“You’ll see how he approaches every game. There’s one thing he’s missing at the moment, which is scoring more goals, but he’s doing other things right.”
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Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has revealed why healthy competition within the team is not only beneficial for Victor Goqueres, but for the whole squad.
Competition helps Gokeres, not hinders them.
Gokeres was thrust into the limelight as the spearhead of Arsenal’s attack, not only because he paid a high price, but also because the manager had no alternative options to rely on.
Knee injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have weakened Arsenal’s front line, but support is now starting to come in as the former is back to full fitness and scored his first goal in a year against Villa, while the latter returns to the bench after being sidelined since August.
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Gabriel Jesus came off the bench in the Premier League match against Aston Villa and scored Arsenal’s fourth goal.
Star players often view competition for positions as a negative, but Arteta pointed to the “magical” bond within the squad. In other words, competition is seen as helping rather than hindering morale.
“It was the plan to have that level of competition within the team,” Arteta said. “The quality is different, the players are different. After the game, Kai and Victor were together when Jesus scored the goal.
“It was magic. You could see how much they cared for each other and made each other happy. As a coach, it makes me very happy.”
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Watch for free: Highlights of the Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa.
“Fight for it!” – Arteta’s farewell message
Arteta ended his interview with Sky Sports by revealing his New Year’s resolutions.
“Do what you feel, what you think is best for you, fight for it and go for it.” It’s an uplifting parting message to a team that is in control of the title race but knows their work is not done heading into 2026.
“Make your own decisions and don’t pay too much attention to the noise. We are the owners of our lives. We must facilitate it.”
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shared his New Year’s resolutions for 2026.
Semenyo set to feature in Bournemouth vs Arsenal
Beating Bournemouth for the first time since May 2024 will be made even more difficult with forward Antoine Semenyo set to feature despite his looming £65m move to Man City.
City are in talks with Bournemouth for their star forward, but Semenyo will be available for the game against the Gunners at the Vitality Stadium, as manager Andoni Iraola said there was “nothing signed”.
That means Semenyo could play a damaging role in Arsenal’s bid to win the Premier League title before leaving Bournemouth and then joining their direct rivals at City to win the trophy.
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Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola says Antoine Semenyo will play against Arsenal on Saturday, but he cannot confirm whether this will be his last game for the Cherries.
Iraola also believes Saturday’s match against Arsenal may not be his last for the Cherries – he understands Semenyo could also play against Tottenham at the Vitality Stadium on January 7.
“Yes, Antoine will play in this game,” Iraola said on Friday.
Asked if this would be his last game for Bournemouth, he said: “No, no. I think the idea is that at least he can play these two home games in a short turnaround. I hope he can stay here for more time, but we don’t know what will happen.”
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Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo appears to have waved goodbye to the away fans after the 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.
“That’s not the idea (of Semenyo’s last game). The market is open and we don’t know what will happen. I can’t control things, but I don’t think so at the moment.”
“I haven’t signed anything. Yes, there have been conversations and I understand the noise, but Antoine is our player. I want to keep him for a long time and I want to keep him for a long time. But you never know what will happen.”
“He’s playing very well. He’s doing the right things, he’s a top professional, he’s a top guy. He wants to help the team and his teammates. I believe he will do his best and I have no doubts about him.”
Watch Bournemouth v Arsenal live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event from 4.30pm on Saturday 3rd December. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m.
