Viktor Gyokeres starred in Arsenal’s 3-2 Carabao Cup semi-final first leg victory over Chelsea, and a moment with Blues head coach Liam Rosenior has raised some eyebrows
Liam Rosenior’s actions towards Viktor Gyokeres during Chelsea’s clash with Arsenal have sparked considerable debate online. The Swedish striker netted a goal and provided an assist in the Gunners’ 3-2 triumph at Stamford Bridge, with even Chelsea’s new head coach Rosenior appearing to acknowledge his performance.
Shortly after the interval, Gyokeres capitalised on a Robert Sanchez error to tap home from close range before setting up Martin Zubimendi for the visitors’ third strike. With eight minutes of regular time left, Mikel Arteta withdrew Gyokeres, bringing on Gabriel Jesus as his replacement.
As the 27-year-old departed the field, he passed by Rosenior, with the newly appointed Chelsea manager – overseeing his maiden home fixture at Stamford Bridge – giving him two pats on the back as he made his way to the Arsenal dugout.
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Rosenior’s gesture prompted a fascinating reaction online, with some baffled by his choice whilst his side were trailing. @keithk__ posted on X: “Did Liam Rosenior just give Gyokeres a pat on the back with his team 3-1 down? [skull emoji].”
@Shamsdale added: “Rosenior patting Gyökeres on the back as he comes off, I don’t buy this nice guy act for a second.”
Nevertheless, not all social media users shared this view, as @thesaurus34 remarked: “Rosenior just patted Gyokeres on the back after he subbed off. Cant wait for that to be blow out of proportion!”
Before Gyokeres’ goal and assist, Ben White had put Mikel Arteta’s team ahead, with Alejandro Garnacho subsequently netting twice from the bench to narrow the two-goal margin on both occasions.
Gyokeres earned the player of the match award for his performance, with Zubimendi appearing to share that view as he enthusiastically gestured towards the striker during his celebration.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Gyokeres said: “I think it was a tough game. We defended well. They were, as always, dangerous when they have counter-attacks, but I think we defended well. Unfortunate to have conceded two but offensively we scored three, so happy with that.”
Reflecting on his first open-play strike in almost three months, he continued: “That’s what I need to do and I can do it more often. We won today and we keep going.
“It’s still a second leg but of course it’s good to come away with a win and advantage for the second leg, but we still have to do a good performance in the second match.”
Arsenal face five fixtures ahead of the return leg at Emirates Stadium, taking on Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and Leeds United in the Premier League.
Sandwiched between those domestic clashes, the Gunners also meet Kairat Almaty and Inter in the Champions League, meaning rest periods are scarce.
Consequently, Arteta will certainly rotate his squad during this spell and with just Cristhian Mosquera, Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie sidelined through injury, he possesses sufficient depth to make substantial changes.
This could mean a break for Gyokeres, with Jesus and Kai Havertz eager for more game time. Ethan Nwaneri is also expected to be vying for more minutes on the pitch, as he looks set to stay at the club for the rest of the season.
