No Arsenal signing in recent years has created a fever like Viktor Gyokeres. As soon as the Swedish striker arrived at the Emirates this summer, his demand for a No. 14 jersey broke all club records.
For Mikel Arteta, this is a contract that is expected to complete the missing piece in the Premier League championship race - a true striker who can solve big matches.
Ten weeks later, Arsenal topped the rankings after a very tense opening series, the atmosphere around Gyokeres changed. The initial excitement now gave way to heated debate, dividing the perspectives of Arsenal fans.
After 10 matches in all competitions, Gyokeres has only scored 3 goals, all of which came in the first 4 matches. In the last 6 matches, the Swedish striker failed to score.
For many, this is a worrying sign. For others, it is just an inevitable adaptation to the Premier League, no longer as easy as Portugal, where he scored 68 goals in 66 matches for Sporting Lisbon.
The numbers show a clear difference. At Arsenal, Gyokeres has averaged 24 touches per 90 minutes, down from 36 last season. The indicators of passing, finishing and dribbling all decreased.
At Sporting, he made an average of more than 4 "progressive carries" per match ( dribbles at least 10m deep or into the penalty area). At Arsenal, that number is only 1. When facing the opposing defender, he only had a success rate of 23% in passes, much lower than the rate of 42% last season.
The finishing story is not much better. In the Premier League, Gyokeres' shot-to-goal conversion rate is only 20%, equivalent to Richarlison (Tottenham) or Joao Pedro (Ch Chelsea). This number is still far behind other strikers such as Erling Haaland (31%), Hugo Ekitike (30%) or Nick Woltemade (43%).
It is impossible to compare the Premier League environment with the Primeira Liga, a tournament that Opta rated as inferior to the Championship in terms of quality. In Portugal, Gyokeres is considered a " bully" with strong and superior physique. In England, where every defender is ready to collide, that advantage is no longer the ability to dominate the 27-year-old star.
However, is this a serious problem? The answer depends on the fans' expectations. If someone hopes Gyokeres will score more than 40 goals like at Sporting, they will be disappointed. If you look at him as part of Mikel Arteta's diverse attacking system, what the Swedish striker has brought is still very valuable.
Bukayo Saka said after the win over West Ham: We are grateful to Gyokeres for the way he plays. The way Gyokeres kept the ball, moved the ballless and stretched the defense, he was a big catalyst for Arsenal to win.
reality has proven that. In the match against Olympiacos in midweek, Gyokeres' cut extended the opponent's defense, opening up an opportunity for Martinelli to easily score. Meeting West Ham in the opening situation, 3 opposing defenders were dragged along with him, thereby Eberechi Eze comfortably finished in the penalty area.
Gyokeres became a " reference" in Arteta's 4-2-3-1 formation, who kept the opposing centre-back, creating space for satellites such as Saka, Martinelli and Eze to take up. In terms of tactics, he is doing exactly what Arteta wanted, which is a striker who knows how to move intelligently, pulling space so that The Gunners can attack in many directions.
What makes fans still love Gyokeres is his attitude. He always fights with all his might, pressing constantly and not afraid of collisions. At the Emirates, the stands seemed to explode every time the striker born in 1998 approached the goal, because everyone saw a desire, even though the goal may not have come.
Previously, the context of Gyokeres' Arsenal deal was not easy. The prolonged transfer window has caused him to miss much of the pre-season, while Kai Havertz's injury has led to Arteta's inability to rotate the attack. Instead of gradually integrating, Gyokeres was forced to play continuously, which affected his fitness and form.
After all, the question Is Gyokeres worthy of expectation? is still open. For those who are looking forward to a table-hunting machine, it may not be able to meet the requirements.
However, for those who understand Arteta's way of building Arsenal, a highly systematic team that does not depend on individuals, Gyokeres is playing a much more important role in goal numbers.
