Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal forward Viktor Gyökeres "needed" a good performance after he starred in the 2-1 Champions League win at Slavia Prague.

Sweden striker Gyökeres made one goal and scored the other in one of his best displays since joining Arsenal in July 2025.

The 28-year-old has played second fiddle to Kai Havertz this season and had scored only one goal before Wednesday night, in the Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out defeat at Fleetwood last month.

But against Slavia, Gyökeres laid on the opener for Noni Madueke before scoring a stylish second on a hugely encouraging evening in the Czech capital.

"I thought he was really good," Arteta told reporters. "It was a game we believed would be really good for him, for the demands the opponent puts in and the spaces he could use.

"He's done it really well, not just for the assist and the goal, but he was really connected to the team. It's really great news for him, because he really needed that performance.

"He did that really well, understood really well when to appear, when to threaten, because they leave people, they follow man-to-man in the midfield and leave spaces there.

"So when I said he was really connected to the team, that was another example. I thought he had a great performance alongside the goal and assist.

"I'd imagine every player wants to play every game, and Viktor is no different. The players need to impact the game like he has done when they get the opportunity, to show the level they can produce. It's really positive for the team."

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Despite his lack of minutes on the pitch, Gyökeres has now contributed to five goals in his last five matches.

"I feel very good," he told Arsenal's website. "Obviously, I'm happy with the win and to contribute to the two goals."

Premier League leaders Arsenal are up to third in the Champions League table despite a wobble in the second half, when Wiktor Nowak's 90th-minute goal left them clinging on throughout stoppage time.

"A good feeling in the first half -- and then obviously in the second half, with how that went, maybe the feeling isn't as good. But overall, if you look at the first half, it's a good feeling," added Gyökeres.

"It's my job as a striker and of course I want to contribute every game when I'm on the pitch and want to be involved as much as I can in attacks.

"So far we've had a good run in the Champions League and in the league as well.

"At the stage we're in right now, we're in a good spot, but I think we're all clear on what we can improve and what we need to do to take the next step."