There was an almighty sigh of relief emanating from the small pocket of away fans during Coventry City’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Championship rivals Swansea on an action-packed Saturday afternoon.
It’s not often Viktor Gyokeres, put through on goal by a slide-rule through-ball, squanders opportunities like this after all. But the reprieve, for Russell Martin’s visitors, would not last for long.
Nine minutes into the second half, Coventry’s free-scoring talisman was collected a similarly defence-splitting pass in behind the Swans backline and, instead of taking his shot early, waited, bided his time, checked inside and slotted stylishly into the far corner.
With 10 goals in just 19 starts, Gyokeres broke free of the nine-goal club and went solo, moving into pole position for the Championship’s Golden Boot award. With nine players currently on nine goals, Gyokeres became the first to hit double figures in England’s second tier this term.
And with no Aleksandr Mitrovic these days, or even a Dominic Solanke, the Golden Boot could be his to lose.
Leeds United, Everton and Burnley like Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres
Whether Gyokeres is making room on his mantelpiece come June, however, depends on how things turn out in January. According to reports, Leeds United and Everton have been keeping tabs on the 11-time Sweden international. And both clubs will go into the winter window with a centre-forward high on their respective radars.
Leeds need competition for the injury-hit Patrick Bamford. Everton, meanwhile, parted ways with Salomon Rondon; the veteran Venezuelan’s contract terminated over the weekend. Vincent Kompany’s league leading Burnley, meanwhile, have made Gyokeres their number one target, though Coventry’s £15 million price-tag is likely to be a little rich for the Clarets’ blood (The Sun).
“I think that, certainly, he is priceless!” Coventry boss Mark Robins enthuses, urging Sky Blues supporters to ‘enjoy’ Gyokeres for as long as they can (Coventry Live).
“I think everyone talks about whether you can keep hold of people but let’s just enjoy everybody while we have them. The truth of the matter is that, at some point, players move on. Let’s just enjoy it. Let’s enjoy the moment.”
‘A load of improvement in him’
If Gyokeres’ well-taken finish against former employers Swansea highlighted his composure and perseverance, that Goal of the Season contender during a recent 2-0 triumph over Wigan Athletic was all of the 24-year-old’s qualities on show at once. A Berbatov-esque touch to pluck a high ball out of the sky, the acceleration and power of Didier Drogba taking him from the centre circle to the penalty area in the blink of an eye, capped off by the most unerring of finishes.
“There was a grabbing of his shirt but he got away from that. It slowed him down for a split second and then the acceleration came,” Robins beamed.
“The touch inside and the finish was absolutely fantastic. It was a brilliant finish. He’s starting to score different types of goals now, and that only makes things better for him and us. He’s certainly a talent but there’s still a load of improvement there. A load of improvement in him.”
A scary thought indeed.
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