Viktor Gyokeres hitting 'highest level' for Arsenal, says Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta believes Viktor Gyokeres has raised his game to the “highest level” after he scored a second-half brace in Arsenal’s 3-0 win against Sunderland.

Following Martin Zubimendi's impressive first-half opener at the Emirates Stadium, Gyokeres landed his first just six minutes after coming on as a substitute.

The Sweden international then completed his brace in stoppage time to put the gloss on a win which moved Arteta's side nine points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

Gyokeres has faced criticism during his first campaign in north London. But his double takes his tally to four in as many matches, and six from his last eight appearances.

And Arteta said: "Confidence is the magic word. When you feel confident, when you feel important, when you feel at your best, that's when you can really take your game to the highest level.

"We are really behind him in every moment to try to help him, to try to support him. And he is delivering, and he's in a really good moment now.

"Obviously, when you put that shirt on, there is a lot of responsibility and huge expectation, and you need to live with that.

"In your journey, you're going to have moments where it goes really well, and then others where it is going to be tough.

"With Viktor, it's very difficult to understand his emotions because he looks straight at you. But he doesn't seem too affected by the real highs or the lows. He's very demanding of himself; he's constantly trying to improve.

"I love his character, the way he approaches every single day and the fact that he's so focused on the present, what he has to do, and he has a genuine will to help the team in whatever role he has."

Arsenal once again showed their strength in depth with Gyokeres' performance off the bench.

The Gunners have now scored nine goals via substitutes in the Premier League this season, more than any other team, and Gyokeres believes it's a good sign for the team.