Boss Mikel Arteta says Viktor Gyokeres is ‘helping the team a lot’ [Jay Patel/SPP]

VIKTOR Gyokeres is searching for his next goal, but Mikel Arteta is far from worried after praising the “incredible” forward for the impact he’s having on the pitch.

Gyokeres now hasn’t found the back of the net in his last five outings. But the Swedish striker did everything but score on Wednesday night as the Gunners beat Olympiakos 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium to continue their perfect start in the Champions League.

Gyokeres shrugged off defenders as he bullied his way into the box before seeing his shot bounce off the post, allowing Gabriel Martinelli to pounce from close range to open the scoring.

It was the highlight of a dominant display from Arsenal’s new number 14 – even if it was missing that cherry on top.

Arteta, though, is “hopeful” that the elusive goal will arrive tomorrow (Saturday) when West Ham visit Ashburton Grove.

But if it doesn’t, the Gunners boss knows that the Hammers’ defence is still in for a tough afternoon.

Assessing Gyokeres’s latest offering against Olympiakos, Arteta said: “He had an incredible performance.

“I think he did the rest of the things you ask for from a striker.

“The way he’s linking with his teammates, the way he’s opening spaces, the way he’s threatening constantly the back line.

“He had three or four big situations where he could have scored a goal, so it will come. Hopefully it will be on Saturday.

“What I sense is that he’s doing better and better things every game, and tonight he was denied a few times, and then he hit the post, but I think overall his performance was exceptional.

“Again, his work was really good, and yeah, we want him to be scoring goals – but if he doesn’t do that, at least to do everything as he’s doing for the team, because he’s helping the team a lot.”

Another plus point for Arteta is the return to form of club captain Martin Odegaard. The creative king almost scored and set up Bukayo Saka’s added-time second against Olympiakos.

Despite some concerns that Arsenal’s pressing game locks Odegaard into a more defensive mindset, Arteta insisted: “Martin has got all the licence in the world to go forward, to play with that freedom and to play with that level of threat – not only with the passes, but the way he was taking the ball, carrying the ball, making runs, and arriving in really dangerous areas.

“I think he put three people through tonight to score a goal, and he should have scored a goal as well.

“It’s great to have him back, I think he was phenomenal.”