Viktor Gyokeres' training behaviour brought up as Arsenal star makes thoughts clear

Arsenal's Cristhian Mosquera has praised team-mate Viktor Gyokeres as an "animal" after facing his prowess first-hand in training. Mosquera and Gyokeres arrived at Arsenal this summer and have each made their mark in the opening weeks of the season.

Gyokeres, in particular, has been hailed as the answer to Mikel Arteta's attacking problems, having scored a remarkable 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting CP. Despite not yet replicating his goalscoring exploits since returning to England, the frontman has impressed nonetheless.

Spain under-23 international Mosquera highlighted the difference between facing Gyokeres and his previous opponents at Valencia. And he believes it's making him and the rest of Arteta's defensive unit better as a result.

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"Gyokeres is a beast, an animal. Training with him helps defenders improve," he told Spanish newspaper AS. "There were great players at Valencia, but training with such high-level players is a huge leap forward."

Mosquera was signed by Arsenal for £13million, a mere fraction of the £64m shelled out to Sporting for Gyokeres. Despite his lower price tag, the young defender has shown immense promise, both as a substitute and when starting games.

Gyokeres has netted three times in his opening 10 appearances for Arsenal, including a brace during a 5-0 thrashing of Leeds back in August. The striker's physical presence has become increasingly evident to Premier League viewers, marking a shift away from Arsenal's traditional preference for more technically proficient forwards.

His instinctive attacking approach can occasionally look untidy or even fragmented. Nevertheless, it proved highly effective for Gyokeres in Lisbon, where he compiled a goalscoring record that would be the envy of most elite marksmen.

Mosquera isn't the first Arsenal defender to praise Gyokeres for how thoroughly he challenges his new team-mates. Ben White possesses greater insight than most having partnered the Swede at Brighton, and he offered similar acclaim for his colleague last month.

"He's a monster! He lives for goals doesn't he? He's a constant threat," White told Hayters TV in September. "You really don't want to get in his way when you are playing against him, because he'll just move you out of the way anyway!

"He's such a big presence, and I think it will be a massive help that he's already played in English football. You see a lot of people come to the Premier League and they've had no taste of what it's like and it can be a struggle.

"But for Viktor, he's well used to it. He played at Coventry, and I played loads of games with him at Brighton. So he's seen it, he knows what it's going to be like and what to expect from the defenders."

Following a six-game goalless streak for Arsenal, the heat is on Gyokeres to break his dry spell as Arteta eyes another title push. His next chance to do so will be at Fulham on Saturday as the Gunners make their return after the international break.