Viktor Gyokeres [Jay-Patel/SPP]

MIKEL Arteta has again heaped praise on Viktor Gyokeres, while acknowledging that not everyone can appreciate what the underfire striker brings to the pitch.

Gyokeres grabbed a goal and an assist on Wednesday night as Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-2 at Stamford Bridge to take a narrow advantage in the semi-final first leg of the Carabao Cup.

The two-yard tap-in that earned Gyokeres his seventh goal of the season isn’t going to win any Goal of the Month competitions, although it would have given the 27-year-old’s confidence a much-needed boost.

However, the assist – a clever flick that gave Martin Zubimendi’s quick feet a chance to shine – was part of a much more significant story.

Gyokeres had yet again attracted the attention of a cluster of rival players, and the space that freed up allowed Zubimendi to waltz in and score what proved to be the winner.

Assessing Gyokeres’s latest contribution, Arteta said: “I think he had a perfect performance overall; I think what he brings to the team, it’s a lot sometimes. I understand that people cannot appreciate it, we certainly do – and on top of that, he got rewarded with a goal.

“He was a real threat constantly, really supporting the team in the way that we actually needed tonight.”

A striker’s worth, though, is always measured in goals – a fact that wasn’t lost on Gyokeres when he faced the Sky Sports cameras after the game. He said: “That’s what I need to do, and I can do it more often.”

Arsenal could rue the fact that they only have a one-goal advantage when they could have put the two-legged tie beyond Chelsea’s reach.

But a win is a win, even if Arteta isn’t going to give himself much time to enjoy it before switching his focus to tomorrow’s (Saturday) Premier League trip to the City Ground.

“With so much quality on that pitch, we had the feeling at the end, after the 1-3 and the very dominant period that we had in that time, that we had two massive chances to score the fourth one,” said the Arsenal boss.

“The result would have been very different, but in that moment, they had an action, they created a corner, they scored a goal, and it’s game on. So that feeling is not perfect, but as well we have to value what the team has done again. It’s another step, and it’s just half-time, and we know the big fight that we’re going to have back at the Emirates in a few weeks’ time.

“In 20 minutes, I’m going to start to think about Nottingham Forest and start to prepare and make sure everybody recovers. That’s the routine that we have.

“Very happy with what we’ve done tonight, put it to bed and now focus on the next one.”