Sporting Lisbon couldn’t follow up their impressive 4-1 thumping of Manchester City last month with another victory over Premier League opposition, as they were defeated 5-1 by Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. The match was a statement victory for the Gunners, with a particular focus on how they managed to keep Viktor Gyökeres, arguably Europe’s hottest striker, quiet.
It seems the Arsenal players approached the game with Gyökeres in mind, as evidenced when Gabriel Magalhães made it 3-0 and mimicked the Swede’s signature celebration. It turns out, Gyökeres doesn’t seem to mind.
“He’s welcome to steal it if he can’t create his own celebration!” he said to Viaplay, taking a subtle dig at the Brazilian defender. “I didn’t know he did that, but it’s fun he likes my celebration”, he added.
🎭 Viktor Gyökeres: “Gabriel’s celebration? He’s welcome to steal it if he can’t create his own celebration!”.
“I didn’t know he did that, but it’s fun he likes my celebration”, told @ViaplayFotboll. pic.twitter.com/yxPdoJn84n
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 26, 2024
The odds were stacked against Sporting from the outset, but few expected Arsenal to blow them away. However, this result shouldn’t have come as a complete surprise, especially considering Sporting’s recent managerial change after Ruben Amorim left mid-season to join Manchester United earlier this month.
Currently, Sporting sit in eighth place with 10 points, a solid position to secure a spot in the automatic playoff places. Meanwhile, Arsenal have climbed to seventh, also with 10 points.
Gyökeres didn’t score against Arsenal, but he remains one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, with several clubs likely to be interested in him during the upcoming January transfer window. In just 25 games this season, the 26-year-old has netted 33 goals.
For sure, he’ll celebrate more goals than Gabriel Magalhães for the rest of the season.
