Ian Wright refuses to give up on Arsenal star after Carabao Cup win over Chelsea

Ian Wright remains adamant Viktor Gyokeres will have a decisive say at some point during the run-in after the much criticised striker endured another difficult evening against Chelsea.

The Arsenal striker looked to have turned a corner in recent weeks having scored four goals in his last six games in all competitions and finally appeared ready to justify the faith Mikel Arteta has placed in him following a £62million summer move from Sporting Lisbon.

In what was a tight, tense and cagey Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, eventually settled by Kai Havertz’s late winner, Gyokeres struggled to make any sort of impact touching the ball just 10 times in total before he was substituted with 20 minutes remaining.

With Havertz now back from what has effectively been a year-long absence and Gabriel Jesus showing glimpses of his best form, Arsenal appear relatively well stocked up front, even in light of auxiliary forwardMikel Merino’s setback.

Given the doubts over Jesus and Havertz’s durability, Gyokeres will almost certainly be asked to shoulder a significant burden between now and the end of a campaign that promises so much for Arsenal and Wright is refusing to give up on the Sweden international.

He told ITV Sport: ‘I’m really pleased for Kai coming on and scoring like that. He’s had his problem with injuries so hopefully we can shepherd him through with them because I think he’s another one with big moments to come.

‘Same with Eze I think his time’s to come and I’m never going to give up on Viktor in respects of the rest of this season, there’s moments to be had.

‘Kai’s just had one to get us to the final. As long as that continues for the rest of the season I’m happy.’

While Havertz, ultimately, had the decisive say, Arsenal second leg victory was largely founded on another solid defensive showing that restricted Chelsea to just 0.71 xG.

Even without David Raya, it was a routine night for his understudy Kepa Arizabalaga who kept his side’s 20th clean sheet of the season.

Responding to the suggestion that Arsenal are boring their way to major silverware, Wright said: ‘I think if Chelsea got anything out of this game we’d probably be ruing the chances we missed in the first game because I think we could easily have won that 4-1.

‘But any means necessary for me, if this is how it’s going to be for the rest of the season and we can nick games and nick points I’d take it because it’s by any means necessary, you’ve got to win the games.’

On the legacy Arsenal’s current defensive unit could create, he added: ‘What helps that is actually going on and winning things because that defence won everything domestically and rightly so because they were magnificent.

‘I think this defence is brilliant but it will all be judged on what you end up getting for it but come on, 20 cleans sheets is amazing.

‘I remember playing in a team with that back five the fact is that if you knew you score then you’re probably winning the game.

‘That’s what this team is like. Obviously the last few games we’ve let a few silly goals in from our own mistakes but in the main if you score you’re probably going to win with that defence.’