Yorke's joining this summer has made Arsenal fans so excited that his No. 14 jersey order volume broke the team's history record, and the supply of related peripheral products is in short supply. Now, the craze surrounding this player has gradually calmed down. Although Yorke scored 3 goals in the first four games, he has not scored a single goal in the last six games.
Although the sample size is not large, the Telegraph conducted a comparative analysis of Yorke's data in Portugal and Arsenal. One fundamental reason is that Yorke has much fewer touch opportunities at Arsenal than at Portugal. So far, in Arsenal's various games, Yorke's touches per 90 minutes have dropped from 36 last season to 24 this season.
In Portugal, he will drive the ball to the opponent's defense, with an average of more than four "pushing the ball" per game (i.e. pushing the ball forward at least 10 yards or entering the penalty area). At Arsenal, he currently only advances once per game. His shooting, passing and passing times have dropped significantly this season compared to last season. When he tried to break through his opponent, his success rate also dropped sharply, with his dribbling success rate this season being only 23% compared to 42% last season.
As for the shooting conversion rate, Yorke is currently 20% in the Premier League, comparable to Tottenham's Richarlison and Chelsea's Joao Pedro, and lagging behind Liverpool's Ekitic (30%), Manchester City's Haaland (31%) and Newcastle's Walter Mad (43%).
The Telegraph said that in fact, Yorke's performance this season is not surprising, and the competition intensity of the Premier League is significantly higher than that of the Portuguese Super League. In the more intense physical battles against the Premier League, Yorke no longer has such a big advantage. So should this cause concern? If Arsenal fans expect Yorke to score 40 goals in a single season like they did in the Portuguese Super League, they may have to be prepared to face disappointment.
However, we can also talk about the impact of Yorke on Arsenal's overall tactics from another perspective. Although his personal performance may not reach the expected height, his presence obviously helped the performance of other players on Arteta's offensive line. Specifically, Yorke can restrain the opponent's defense through running and open up the opponent's defense. The player's attitude is unquestionable. His tireless running shows his desire to prove his worth.
It is worth noting that Yorke suffered a great physical pressure in the early months of the season. Due to the transfer tug-of-war, his pre-season preparation time was limited, and Havertz's injury also prevented Arteta from rotating forwards. Ideally, Yorke should have adapted more step by step to new teams and new environments.
How your opinion on Yorke depends on your expectations, and if you want him to become a 30-goal scorer in a single season, or even a Golden Boot contender, your performance in the past few weeks may disappoint you. But for those who expect him to bring new heights to the Arsenal forward, creating space for teammates and enriching the offensive angle, Yorke's current performance is basically in line with expectations.