Steve McManaman says he “feels sorry” for two Arsenal players who often take “blame” that should probably be aimed Mikel Arteta’s way.

Gyokeres got an assist and a goal in one of his better performances for Arsenal against Slavia Prague on Wednesday, but was left isolated in the second half – in what has become a regular theme for the big Swede – as the Gunners struggled.

“I liked him in the first half. I think in the second half, when Arsenal became a little bit dishevelled, they weren’t as close to him so I think it’s hard,” McManaman said of Gyokeres’ performance.

“When they are playing well, he is up there on his own. In the first half, they were very compact, they were very close to him, they were getting around the sides, they were making chances, so he looked dangerous.

“In the second half, when it got really stretched and they were wide and he was up on his own, he looked as if he was just left alone a lot.

“I think when Arsenal play as more of a unit, attacking and defending together, I think he looks better.”

McManaman says he “feels sorry” for Gyokeres and Kai Havertz playing in a “not entertaining team” and fielding a lot of the “blame” for a lack of goals.

“I do feel sorry for Arsenal forwards sometimes because they’re not an entertaining team, they’re not like a Barcelona. They defend very deep, they defend as a whole and it’s a long way to get to the other end of the pitch to score goals,” he added.

“They’re never going to be this entertaining, lovely, free-flowing side scoring goal after goal after goal, and then Gyokeres and Havertz sometimes get the blame because of that. It’s normally the midfielders and the defenders that we talk about.

“But as I said, Gyokeres had a great first half, he did his best in the second half and he deserves what he got because he got an assist and he got a goal.”

Asked if it could be time for Arteta to trust Gyokeres with more minutes, McManaman replied: “Whenever a big game comes around, Arteta reverts to Havertz doesn’t he?

“People keep saying that Havertz scores goals in the big games and he certainly did that against Liverpool so you can’t really contest that.

“But I just think he trusts Havertz a little bit more. That’s all it is.

“Gyokeres played against Slavia Prague and he did exactly what he needed to do. He had an impact on the game, he had a huge impact on the game and we’ll wait and see for Saturday.

“But I always think that when big games come around, if it was a final or Arsenal or Manchester City, if both Gyokeres and Havertz are fit, then Arteta would always revert back to Havertz.”