Viktor Gyokeres spotted in Portugal as he takes advantage of Mikel Arteta instruction

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Viktor Gyokeres has been spotted in Portugal just days after Arsenal's potentially title-defining defeat to Manchester City . With Mikel Arteta granting his squad two days off this week, the Swedish striker took the opportunity to travel.

Gyokeres returned to familiar surroundings in Lisbon, where he spent two successful seasons with Sporting CP . During his visit, he stopped by the well-known traditional restaurant Solar dos Presuntos, owned by prominent Sporting supporter Pedro Cardoso, the son of former Portugal national team chef Evaristo Cardoso.

While there, Gyokeres posed for photos with staff, which were later shared on the restaurant's social media accounts on Tuesday. The post read: "Back at Solar dos Presuntos, Viktor Gyokeres. Away from the sights, representing Arsenal , always close to the heart."

It comes at a trialling time for Arsenal. The Gunners have all but blown a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League and Sunday's defeat at the Etihad Stadium means City can now leapfrog them into first place with a win over Burnley on Wednesday night.

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For Gyokeres, it's been a mixed debut campaign in England. The Sweden international has scored a respectable 18 goals in all competitions this season but has at times looked well short of his blistering best as he continues to adapt to the demands and rhythm of Premier League football.

Despite scoring in Arsenal's previous two league matches, Gyokeres was named on the bench against City, with Kai Havertz preferred as the starting centre forward. He was introduced late on as Arsenal searched for an equaliser but was unable to make an impact in a narrow 2-1 defeat.

In a bid to revitalise his squad, Arteta granted his players a short break, hoping the time away will help recharge their physical and mental energy ahead of Arsenal's crucial clash with Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

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After that, they face Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, a daunting tie against the Spanish giants. Arsenal are aiming to reach the final of Europe's premier club competition for only the second time in their history and the first since 2006, when they were ultimately beaten by Barcelona .

Just a few weeks ago, Arsenal were in contention for an unprecedented quadruple. Now, their season hangs in the balance after surrendering control at the top of the Premier League, losing the League Cup final to Man City, and suffering an FA Cup exit at the hands of Southampton .

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