Arsenal star reacts to what Viktor Gyokeres did in training: "He's an animal"

Arsenal star Cristhian Mosquera has hailed Viktor Gyokeres for making him a better defender. Both Mosquera and Gyokeres moved to the Emirates Stadium this summer from Valencia and Sporting Lisbon respectively.

The defender has impressed having deputised in place of William Saliba during his injury lay-off. Gyokeres, however, has had a slow start to life in North London having scored just three goals in all competitions.

Despite that, Mosquera is a huge fan of his new teammate, having claimed that the pair’s battles in training is helping him become a better defender. Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, he said: “He's [Gyokeres] a beast, an animal.

“Training with him helps defenders improve. There were great players at Valencia, but training with such top-level players is a huge leap.”

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And while Gyokeres’ Premier League move has got off to a slow start, the same cannot be said of Mosquera. The centre-back has caught the eye since his bargain switch from Spain - and is already relishing playing in the Premier League.

He said: “I feel great at the club and in the city. From the first moment Arteta spoke to me, I had no doubts about joining Arsenal. There's an incredible group of players. Plus, there are a lot of Spanish speakers, which has helped me adapt.”

“The Premier League is very different, but I'm loving it. I'm coping well with that direct style of play,” Mosquera added. “Arteta always asks me after games how tired I am, but I'm feeling really good.

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“I grew up with La Liga's style, but people always told me that the way I play suited me to the Premier League, and I think they were right.”

One challenge ahead of Mosquera following his arrival was to find a way past Mikel Arteta’s first-choice partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel. But the 21-year-old has vowed not to shirk the challenge and believes that competition will only prove to be beneficial for the side throughout the season.

He said: “When I signed, I knew I was going to find them [Gabriel and Saliba], two world-class stars, but the club's idea was that: to have players competing for every position to go as far as possible.”

Mosquera and his Arsenal teammates will be hoping to continue their positive starts to the season following the international break. The Gunners travel to Fulham next weekend leading the Premier League standings.

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