Alan Shearer singles out ‘exceptional’ Arsenal star after Atletico Madrid win

Alan Shearer singled out ‘exceptional’ Viktor Gyokeres for praise after Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid to reach the Champions League final.

The semi-final tie was perfectly poised after a 1-1 draw in Madrid last week and little separated the sides at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

Bukayo Saka produced the defining moment, reacting first to a Jan Oblak save to prod home the decisive goal and send Arsenal to Budapest.

Shearer admitted Arsenal were far from at their best on a cagey night in north London but was impressed with their battling spirit against Diego Simeone’s Atletico.

Premier League record goalscorer Shearer was particularly impressed by the performance of striker Gyokeres, who gave the Atletico centre-backs all kinds of problems and played a role in Arsenal’s winner.

Gyokeres, who joined Arsenal for £64m last summer, did miss a glorious chance to put the tie to bed but Shearer was nevertheless still impressed by the Sweden international.

‘Apart that miss his centre forward play has been superb,’ England legend Shearer said on Prime Video.

‘His running off the ball, his hold up play for his team, taking knocks all night and making runs… he really has been exceptional.

‘It’s exactly the type of performance his team needed from him and something to build on. He offered Arsenal so much tonight.’

Discussing Arsenal’s victory more generally, Shearer added: ‘It wasn’t a vintage performance but it didn’t have to be.

‘It had to be a performance to get them to a Champions League and that’s exactly what they delivered.

‘They had to fight and scrap for every ball tonight and when they got the chance to score they did. That was enough to get them through to the final, so well done Arsenal.

‘They’re so close to making history now, they have one final and three league games to do something this club has never done and win an incredible double.

‘It’s a very, very promising position and this will do a lot for their confidence and belief.’

Gyokeres also attracted praise from ex-England striker Daniel Sturridge, who hailed the 27-year-old as the best player on the pitch.

‘The drive and tenacity of the players [is what impressed most],’ Sturridge said. ‘Lewis-Skelly was brilliant, controlling pace and the play.

‘But Gyokeres was the best player tonight for me. He took so much pressure off the defenders, when you launch it up top thinking can it stick, can you hold it up for us?

‘He did it all for them. Those are the performances that define top players.’

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will face Bayern Munich or holders PSG in the Champions League final on May 30.

PSG boast a one-goal advantage ahead of the second leg against Bayern on Wednesday night after a thrilling 5-4 win in Paris last week.

The Gunners could have clinched their first Premier League title since 2004 before that, boasting a five-point lead over Manchester City going into the final few weeks of the season.

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