Are Arsenal A Better Team With Viktor Gyokeres Up Front?

Analysis on Viktor Gyokeres and his start to life at Arsenal – does he make the Gunners a better team?

It’s fair to say that the jury is still slightly out on Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres.

Some fans see a £64 million bargain who finally gives Mikel Arteta a genuine striker’s presence. Others see a player who, stylistically, feels more Keir Starmer than Gabriel Jesus.

One week after his brace and player-of-the-match performance against Atletico Madrid, it feels like the right moment to assess his start to life in north London: what’s working, what isn’t, and what the numbers are actually saying.

Gyokeres xG vs Goals: The Numbers Behind His Finishing

The headline figure is simple: three Premier League goals in nine games, no assists. For a £64 million striker, that sounds underwhelming. But context matters.

Last season at Sporting CP, Gyokeres was one of Europe’s most clinical finishers, posting an xG overperformance of +0.26 per 90 minutes. This is elite-level efficiency, even slightly above Erling Haaland’s numbers for this season.

That number has dropped to -0.08 this season, meaning he’s scoring more or less exactly what the quality of his chances suggests.

On paper, that’s fine. Arsenal have created 3.7 xG worth of chances for him in the Premier League, and he’s scored three goals. Slightly below expectation, yes. But hardly a crisis.

Statistically, he’s performing like an average top-flight centre-forward in England’s most demanding system.

What’s changed is not his talent but his surroundings. He’s gone from being the hub of Sporting’s attack to a cog in Arteta’s highly structured machine. For now, he’s adjusting, and the numbers reflect that.

Gyokeres Analysis: No Chances in Big Games

Where the concern creeps in is shot volume, or more specifically, the lack of it in Arsenal’s biggest matches.

Gyokeres played all 90 minutes against both Liverpool and Manchester City without registering a single shot. Not on target, not off target, nothing.

That’s not just a Gyokeres problem; it’s an Arsenal problem. In those games, Arsenal’s control-orientated game plan meant their striker was starved of service. He still made his trademark runs, constantly stretching defences, but the ball never came.

And that’s where the conversation shifts. Because while some will point to his finishing, others will argue that Arsenal are still learning how to play with him.

Off-the-Ball Movement: Gyokeres’ Invisible Strength

According to Opta data, Viktor Gyokeres has made more off-the-ball runs than any other Premier League player this season. That stat alone changes the narrative.

These are the kinds of runs Arsenal simply didn’t have last season. Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino often dropped deep or drifted wide; Gyokeres runs behind. He opens spaces others can exploit, even when he doesn’t get the ball himself.

Take Declan Rice’s goal vs West Ham – it only happens because Gyokeres drags three defenders into the six-yard box, clearing the zone for Rice to arrive unmarked. It’s not an assist, it’s not even a touch, but it’s still influence.

So while his finishing has been hit and miss, his presence is reshaping Arsenal’s attack. The team look more vertical, more dangerous, and far less predictable.

Gyokeres Analysis: What He Brings and Where He Falls Short

Strengths

• Relentless off-ball movement and pressing

• Physical power to pin defenders and play in transition

• Effective link play – simple, secure, and purposeful

• Two-footed finishing ability

• Mentality: never stops, never hides

Limitations

• Not elite in aerial duels, can’t yet act as an out-ball

• Can engage defenders too early when attacking space

• Finishing under pressure can be rushed or “snatched”

• Not technically elite like Kane, nor explosively fast like Haaland

In short: Gyokeres does everything to a high standard, but not to an elite one. He’s not an elite striker, but he is an effective one.

He’s more Diego Costa than Thierry Henry: a physical, mentality-first forward who thrives on repetition, aggression, and chaos rather than finesse.

Arsenal’s Tactical Adaptation: Still a Work in Progress

The key now is adaptation – on both sides. Gyokeres needs to relax and trust his instincts, but Arsenal’s creative players also need to trust him.

He’s constantly available for passes into the channel, but those require risk – the kind of brave, low-percentage passes that his teammates sometimes hesitate to play.

Against Liverpool and City, Arsenal were accused by many of playing with the “handbrake on”. That sort of conservatism doesn’t help their striker in need of goals.

When Arsenal do feed him early, they look far more dangerous, and it was Gyokeres’ movement and tenacity which earned him two goals against Atletico Madrid, even if they weren’t the cleanest of finishes.

The system is still evolving and adapting, and the partnership between the striker and his teammates is still being written.

Gyokeres Minutes Played: The Overlooked Factor Behind His Form?

Another element that deserves more attention is just how much Viktor Gyokeres has played.

Because of injuries to both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal have had little choice but to lean heavily on their new centre forward.

Of all Arsenal’s outfield players, only Gabriel Magalhaes (1,065) and Martin Zubimendi (1,025) have played more minutes than Gyokeres (1,011) across all competitions.

That’s a massive workload for a player still adjusting to both a new league and a new tactical environment. The plan would almost certainly have been for him to rotate more, especially during this early bedding-in phase.

Instead, he’s been asked to play through everything – the fixture congestion, the adaptation, and the scrutiny. It’s easy to imagine that with a few more breathers and less physical toll, his finishing sharpness and confidence would look sharper already.

It also ties into a wider point about how Arteta is managing this squad across multiple fronts. With Arsenal targeting more silverware under Arteta, squad depth suddenly matters more than ever.

Are Arsenal Better With Gyokeres?

So, is Viktor Gyokeres the perfect striker for Arsenal? Probably not. But is he exactly what they need right now? Quite possibly.

He’s a disruptor. A player whose mere presence in the box bends defenders and creates goals for others. His xG and finishing numbers are steady, his work rate is unquestionable, and his mentality in terms of his determination to score as many goals as possible is off the charts.

Yes, he’s not Haaland. He’s not Harry Kane. But he’s already helping Arsenal become a less predictable, more dangerous attacking team – one capable of winning the biggest prizes.

Imperfect? Sure. But perfectly effective.