Top News

Last week marked the most memorable phase yet of Viktor Gyokeres’ Arsenal journey. On Wednesday, the £64 million ($86m) summer signing calmly converted a penalty in the Gunners’ 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Metropolitano. Just three days later, the Swedish forward netted twice and set up another goal in a 3-0 victory over Fulham, strengthening Arsenal’s hold at the top of the Premier League with a six-point cushion.

With those performances, the Sweden international became only the second Arsenal player this century to score 20 or more goals in all competitions during his debut season in north London. With three Premier League fixtures still to play, and potentially two more in the Champions League, Gyokeres has a real chance to surpass Alexis Sanchez’s 25-goal tally from the 2014-15 campaign.

However, if reports are accurate, Mikel Arteta is still inclined to start Julian Alvarez over Gyokeres in Tuesday’s return leg against Atletico at the Emirates – a surprising stance given the striker’s recent surge in form and confidence.

So, should Arsenal already be exploring potential replacements for Gyokeres? Or is he now on the verge of proving himself as the long-term solution to Arteta’s forward concerns?

Underwhelming beginnings

When Gyokeres joined from Sporting CP last July, he was heralded as the final piece missing from Arsenal’s attacking setup – a prolific finisher who could lift Arteta’s side from perennial Premier League runners-up to champions.

Across two seasons in Lisbon, Gyokeres had scored more league goals than any other player in Europe’s top 10 leagues – an incredible 68 goals in 66 appearances. While few expected him to maintain that strike rate in England, his early struggles in the Premier League still caught many by surprise.

Arteta attributed Gyokeres’ slow start to a disrupted pre-season, given the drawn-out nature of his transfer. Yet, there appeared to be deeper issues. The striker often looked sluggish, his movements laboured, and his hold-up play inconsistent, making it difficult for him to bring teammates into play.

‘Is he elite?’

Strikers aren’t always measured by their touches in a game – Erling Haaland being the prime example – but Gyokeres wasn’t compensating for his lack of involvement with goals or assists either. The 27-year-old managed only five goals in his first 21 Premier League matches, with two coming from penalties. It wasn’t long before pundits like Jamie Carragher questioned whether the Swede was truly an “elite” striker.

“In the biggest games, he’s looked a bit short,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. His assessment remains relevant, as Gyokeres has scored only once against the current top nine Premier League teams – in April’s loss to Bournemouth.

However, Carragher also pointed out that Gyokeres wasn’t necessarily wasteful: “People keep saying Arsenal’s problem is finishing, but it’s not – it’s creating. They don’t create enough chances.”

‘Why not play to his strengths?’

Arsenal’s lack of creativity from open play has become a recurring issue, and former Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea striker Chris Sutton believes the Gunners haven’t helped Gyokeres by failing to cater to his playing style.

“He’s a big, physical striker, yet when they get into wide areas, they rarely cross the ball in,” Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I don’t understand that – why buy that type of centre-forward and not use his strengths?”

He added, “He’s not the most skilful player, but he’s hardworking and runs the channels well. You’ve got to give him a chance because this Arsenal team isn’t free-scoring. He’s a good finisher, so when the ball is in a good crossing position, you’ve got to take the risk and put it in.”

‘Reminded me of Haaland’

Paul Merson once claimed Arsenal players didn’t trust Gyokeres, saying, “They don’t pass to him.” But after the Fulham game, the former Arsenal midfielder changed his stance. “He reminded me of Haaland,” Merson said on the Stick to Football podcast. “I’ve criticised him a lot, but that was the best I’ve seen him play.”

It was indeed Gyokeres’ most complete display in an Arsenal shirt – his first match contributing to three goals since joining the club. His brace took his Premier League tally to 14, placing him fourth in the Golden Boot race behind Haaland, Brentford’s Igor Thiago, and Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo.

‘Big boost’

Gyokeres’ first goal against Fulham – a close-range finish after Bukayo Saka’s brilliant wing play – was just the type of poacher’s goal Arsenal wanted from him. His second, a superb header from Leandro Trossard’s looping cross, showed excellent timing and strength.

His assist was perhaps the highlight for Arteta, as Gyokeres made a clever run onto Eberechi Eze’s long pass before cutting the ball back for Saka to score. “He had a great performance,” said Arteta. “In Madrid, especially in the first half, he was really good, and today again, every attacking action he was involved in – two great goals, great timing. It’ll give him and the team a big boost in confidence.”

The decisive month

Gyokeres’ resurgence couldn’t have been better timed for either him or Arsenal. His form has helped lift the Gunners back into contention for both the Premier League and Champions League titles. He’s expected to start against Atletico, though many believe he’d be benched if Kai Havertz were fit.

Arteta’s decision to start Havertz in last month’s crucial clash against Manchester City at the Etihad suggested the German offers more in pressing and link-up play. But given Havertz’s injury record – and Gabriel Jesus’ likely departure – Arsenal are almost certain to sign another striker this summer.

The question is whether they’ll recruit a young prospect like Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi or Endrick to eventually replace Gyokeres, or go for an established scorer such as Alvarez or Victor Osimhen to challenge him immediately.

As Merson put it, “He was signed to beat the smaller teams, and he’s done that. If they win the league, he’s been a brilliant buy. If not, maybe not. But if he maintains this form for the next few weeks, Arsenal will have got their money’s worth.”

Ultimately, Gyokeres will be judged not just on how many goals he scores, but on when he scores them. By the end of this month, Arsenal could finally have their answer to the Gyokeres puzzle.