Viktor Gyokeres has come to Arsenal as a goalscorer, scoring 97 goals in 102 appearances for his former club Sporting. He is considered a natural goalscorer, the last piece Arsenal are lacking.
However, not scoring any goals for a month - going through 6 consecutive shots - is becoming a concern, especially for a striker who just won the European Golden Boot.
In fact, Arsenal's 3-goal record in 10 games is not too bad, especially with Mikel Arteta's side having won eight of those games. These figures show that Gyokeres still contributes significantly to the overall performance of the team, even though he has not reached his maximum scoring form.
However, there is still a sense of disappointment about Gyokeres. Remember, he scored an average of 35 goals per season in two campaigns in the Portuguese league.
In recent big matches against Liverpool and the two Manchester teams, this striker did not even have a shot. This raises an interesting question: how many games will he be in charge of if Kai Havertz is fit and ready to play?
However, at the Emirates, the trust in the Swedish player is still very large. "He was an important part of our victory in these matches" - Bukayo Saka shared. Arteta, meanwhile, shared the same view: "What Gyokeres has done for the team is incredible."
So what is happening to Gyokeres that is not reflected in the goals? Arteta suggested after the most recent win over West Ham that Gyokeres' way of stretching the opposition defence was helping Arsenal create more space.
The numbers prove it. Only Ollie Watkins is the only player to have more moves challenging the opponent's defense than Gyokeres in the Premier League this season. This is a striker very different to what Arsenal have had, when Gyokeres put nearly double the pressure on the opposing defense compared to Havertz and Gabriel Jesus last season.
Gyokeres' runs helped create important gaps for The Gunners. A typical example was the match against Newcastle, when the striker ran along the right wing, pulled Malick Thiaw out of position and opened up a big gap that Arsenal almost took advantage of.
That is one of the typical examples of the space Arteta wants Gyokeres to create, thereby enhancing Arsenal's creativity. In press conferences, Arteta often emphasizes his desire to find such gaps - a core element of his strategy.
And that's not everything. Gyokeres also stretched and put pressure on the opponent's defense even when he did not have the ball, thanks to his smart pressing play.
In this aspect, Gyokeres has been operating at a slightly higher level than Arsenal used to be in the centre forward position. While Havertz is known for his enthusiastic pressing ability, the Swedish striker can help the team control the match and open up opportunities for attack.
Arsenal need to get used to Gyokeres, just like the striker has to adapt to the rhythm and intensity of the Premier League. The Swedish player needs time to integrate, but the "Gunners" hope that he will soon have favorable matches and maximize his potential.
