Arsenal’s pursuit of marginal gains means they need Gyokeres to find his best form
Arsenal are top of the Premier League table, but are struggling to get the best out of Viktor Gyökeres following his £64m switch from Sporting.
Bought to be the final piece of the puzzle, Viktor Gyökeres has looked out of place for Arsenal recently. The £64m striker has scored just once in his last 10 games. If the Gunners are to win their first Premier League title since the Arsene Wenger era, many are losing faith that Gyökeres can provide the firepower to get them there.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the last Arsenal striker to reach the 20-goal mark in a season. While the Gunners have undoubtedly made progress under Mikel Arteta, there has long been a sense that their overall level would be elevated by the addition of a reliable penalty box finisher.
This is why Gyökeres’ capture in the summer was afforded so much attention. Arsenal assessed a variety of different options including Benjamin Šeško and Ollie Watkins before making their move for the Swede who was fresh from a 54-goal season for Sporting CP. For £64m, the Gunners landed one of Europe’s most prolific goalscorers.
In England, though, Gyökeres has struggled to make the same impact. He is out of sync with the rest of his Arsenal teammates, often making runs that go unrecognised. Other times Gyökeres is slow to get moving when others expect him to be in a scoring position inside the box.
Arteta insists he would rather Arsenal’s goals be shared around the team rather than delivered by one player over the rest. Nonetheless, the Spaniard would surely like more out of Gyökeres if it helped push Arsenal over the finish line. If Arsenal didn’t sign Gyökeres to score goals, what did they sign him for?
Gyökeres now has competition for his starting spot. Gabriel Jesus has recently returned from injury and has received more and more game time in recent matches as Arteta gets the Brazilian forward up to full fitness. Jesus started the FA Cup win over Portsmouth and could start more games over the coming weeks.
Kai Havertz is also back in full training and made his first appearance since suffering a serious knee injury on the opening weekend of the season by coming off the bench against Portsmouth in the FA Cup. Many expect the German to replace Gyökeres in the Arsenal lineup. At the very least he will provide competition.
Havertz was a target for criticism from some sections of the Arsenal fanbase. It was claimed that he wasn’t clinical enough in front of goal. This is what pushed Arsenal into the transfer market in the first place to sign Gyökeres. In Havertz’s absence, though, a greater appreciation for his all-round game seems to have grown.
“We’re not going to change Viktor’s desire or his attitude or his work rate or how much he’s willing to score goals because he’s got another player in [competition], because of the circumstances,” said Arteta. “Because sometimes there’s an element of luck to score goals as well or energy that has to go in your way. And it will come. The good thing is that the team is performing really well and winning matches.”
Arteta is right to highlight the high level Arsenal are operating at right now. The Gunners haven’t lost since suffering defeat to Aston Villa in early December. While it appeared they were running out of steam a few weeks ago, now they hold a six-point advantage at the top of the Premier League table.
Arsenal are fighting on all fronts. Not only are the Gunners leading the way domestically, they are the only team to still have a perfect record in this season’s Champions League, winning six games out of six so far. This includes statement wins over Atlético Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Injuries have cleared up. Martin Ødegaard has rediscovered something close to his best form after enduring a challenging 2025. Declan Rice continues to get better and is now firmly among the best midfielders in the world. Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba remain the strongest centre back pairings in English football.
With the exception of Gyökeres, Arsenal’s summer signings have strengthened them. Martin Zubimendi has slotted into the midfield unit. Noni Madueke has given Arteta another option on the wings. Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera have proved their worth in adding depth to the defence.
If, however, Arsenal under Arteta are about maximising every marginal gain, there is certainly more to be squeezed from Gyökeres. The Swede has the physical attributes to succeed at the top level. His scoring record in Portugal underlined his eye for goal. To date for the Gunners, though, those qualities have yet to come to the fore.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every Arsenal game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.