Mikel Arteta has defended Viktor Gyökeres amid criticism of the Arsenal striker's start to the season.
Gyökeres arrived last summer in a €73 million (£61.5m) deal from Sporting CP and scored 14 Premier League goals as the Gunners won the title for the first time in 22 years.
However, Arsenal spent the summer scouring the market for another attacking option with Atletico Madrid's Julián Álvarez among their leading targets with reports in Spain suggesting Gyokeres could have been used as a makeweight in a potential deal.
Arsenal were unable to prise Alvarez away from Madrid and opted not to sign a forward with Arteta preferring Kai Havertz to Gyökeres in the club's biggest games so far this season.
Gyökeres is yet to score in seven appearances this term but Arteta believes that was close to changing in his 65-minute display against Lille on Tuesday night.
Speaking on Friday ahead of the weekend trip to Nottingham Forest, Arteta said: "These are moments in a player's career, or in a season I would say. We are trying to help him as much as possible.
"The other day, he had some very good moments. He was three or four times in front of goal with no keeper, the ball should arrive to him and it doesn't and maybe you are talking about something else.
"But these are the strikers. It is very small margins. Scoring or not scoring changes the narrative, for sure not the perception how much he can help the team."
Gyökeres had just 12 touches and failed to register a shot against Lille.
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Havertz is expected to return to the starting line-up at the City Ground and when asked whether Gyökeres is suffering from a lack of confidence, Arteta said: "That's a very person question. What he transmits is an incredible will and determination and work rate to improve and help the team.
"That's Viktor every single day regardless of his position, whether he scored a goal or not. And that's why he's always an option to play."
Arteta confirmed Piero Hincapié is still "a week or two" away from returning to action following an ankle injury while Martín Zubimendi [also ankle] is progressing well and could be available within the next week.
