Viktor Gyökeres begins the new campaign in an unfamiliar position at Arsenal.
The striker arrived from Sporting CP in 2025 carrying huge expectations and ended his first season as the club’s leading scorer, but 12 months later, he is fighting to regain his place rather than leading Mikel Arteta’s attack.
Kai Havertz has started each of Arsenal’s opening three Premier League matches, all of which the champions have won.
The German scored during Sunday’s 2-1 comeback victory over Chelsea and also helped create Martin Odegaard’s winner with a clever dummy.
Gyokeres was introduced late at the Emirates, but the game did little to change the current pecking order. Havertz is giving Arteta the movement, pressing and link play he wants from his central forward.
|
Viktor Gyokeres’ 2025/26 Arsenal stats |
||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Competition |
Apps |
Starts |
Sub apps |
Subbed off |
Goals |
Assists |
G+A |
Penalty goals |
Yellow cards |
Red cards |
Minutes |
Mins per goal |
|
Premier League |
36 |
26 |
10 |
16 |
14 |
1 |
15 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
2,231 |
159 |
|
Champions League |
13 |
11 |
2 |
8 |
5 |
1 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
915 |
183 |
|
EFL Cup |
4 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
260 |
260 |
|
FA Cup |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
75 |
75 |
|
All competitions |
55 |
40 |
15 |
26 |
21 |
3 |
24 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
3,481 |
166 |
The Swede offers a different threat, and at his best, he can attack open space, overpower defenders and drive directly towards goal. That approach brought 21 goals across 52 Arsenal appearances last season, including 14 in the Premier League.
Those numbers made his debut campaign respectable rather than spectacular, but Gyokeres contributed to Arsenal winning the title and reaching the Champions League final.
He didn’t exactly become the undisputed first choice many expected when he inherited the number 14 shirt, especially after his free-scoring two seasons at Sporting CP, but Gyokeres still put in a significant shift.
Arsenal face Napoli in their Champions League opener this evening, beginning another demanding run of both domestic and European clashes as they look to go one step further.
Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli both left during the closing stages of the summer window, reducing Arsenal’s attacking numbers, and that should create opportunities for Gyokeres even if Havertz remains ahead of him for the biggest matches.
Arteta has publicly maintained that every member of the squad will be required, yet new comments from talkSPORT reporter Ben Jacobs have revealed that Arsenal were prepared to consider different outcomes for Gyokeres during the summer.
Gyokeres ‘touted’ to Saudi Arabia after Arsenal fail in Alvarez swap deal
Speaking on the Market Madness podcast, Jacobs explained that the forward was discussed as part of Arsenal’s pursuit of Atlético Madrid star Julian Alvarez.
More surprisingly, he claimed Gyokeres was also presented to clubs in Saudi Arabia while their market remained open.
“Yes, at the moment [Gyokeres will stay at Arsenal for the full season],” Jacobs began.
“But with the Julian Alvarez situation, one structure tabled was that it was cash plus Gyokeres, and Atlético Madrid really liked Gyokeres, but as long as Julian Alvarez stayed at the club, it wasn’t as urgent for them to bring in a player like Viktor Gyökeres.
“But it’s true to my understanding that Viktor Gyökeres was not entirely unsellable and was touted to the Saudi market as well.
“And this is where the manager always wants plausible deniability, because he’ll accept the project decision to sell a certain player, but if they stay, the manager tells you they’re 100% invested, and he wants to keep them, and that’s been the case.”
The proposed Alvarez structure did not produce a deal, while Gyokeres remained in north London when the Saudi opportunity passed.
What will likely happen with Viktor Gyökeres at Arsenal
Jacobs expects him to complete the season with Arsenal, meaning there is no immediate indication of another departure.
Still, the suggestion that he was available shows his position was less secure than Arteta’s public comments indicated.
Gyokeres now has the chance to change that picture on the pitch. Arsenal need two reliable strikers to challenge on every front, and one injury could quickly alter the hierarchy.
For the moment, Havertz owns the shirt, and Gyokeres must make his next opportunity count if he wants to pour cold water over rumours about his future.
