£27m star is now Arsenal’s “best finisher”

Has Viktor Gyökeres lived as much as pre-season expectations at Arsenal?

Properly, to date, the Swedish worldwide striker has scored six occasions for the Gunners, most notably bagging a brace in the course of the 4-0 Champions League demolition of Atlético Madrid.

Nonetheless, because the saying goes, in absence the guts grows fonder.

Gyökeres hobbled off at half time in opposition to Burnley, having opened the scoring at Turf Moor, thereby sitting out subsequent journeys to Prague and Sunderland, his absence actually felt in the course of the 2-2 draw on the Stadium of Gentle, with Mikel Arteta actually missing somebody able to working in behind, in addition to reinforcements off the bench, so maybe his significance was solely crystallised when he wasn’t there.

Earlier than struggling this harm, Gyökeres had began all 13 of Arsenal’s Premier League and Champions League fixtures, finishing 90 minutes on 9 events attributable to a scarcity of alternate options, with Kai Havertz having not been seen since sustaining a knee harm at Previous Trafford on the opening weekend.

Forward of a North London derby following the worldwide break, Arteta is hoping to have the cavalry again, with all six of Arsenal’s injured attackers nearing a return, so might “one of the best finisher on the membership” problem Gyökeres for his beforehand undisputed beginning spot?

Kai Havertz’s significance to Arsenal

If Arsenal are going to pip Manchester Metropolis to the Premier League title, they are going to want their key gamers to stay match and obtainable.

For Arteta, these are William Saliba, Gabriel, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka; one might argue Jurriën Timber has entered this unique group too, whereas Martin Ødegaard was actually there too previous to his harm points each this season and final.

For those who ask the supervisor, if not sure onlookers, even when this zeitgeist has modified for many supporters, Kai Havertz is in Arteta’s top-tier of significance too.

Thus far in 2025, the German worldwide has performed simply 817 aggressive minutes, 754 of which got here previous to a critical hamstring tear in the course of the warm-weather coaching marketing campaign in February earlier than, simply when he had bought a whole pre-season beneath his belt, a knee harm picked up in opposition to Manchester United in August required surgical procedure.

Initially signed to play a totally completely different position, Arteta stating upon his arrival that “he’ll convey an enormous quantity of additional power to our midfield”, after the Havertz as a left-eight experiment didn’t go as deliberate, he thrived as a centre-forward, scoring 29 targets for the Gunners up to now.

So, what Arteta has proven is that, if Havertz is out there, he’s going to discover a place in his group for him, so the concept that Gyökeres’ arrival would finish his Arsenal profession was by no means going to be the case.

Clearly, the pre-season plan was for the pair to timeshare the centre-forward position which, who is aware of, might have prevented Gyökeres’ harm, however actually would have benefited him, on condition that the Swede’s greatest two performances, coming at St James’ Park and Turf Moor, each occurred after EFL Cup ties the place he had been afforded a relaxation.

Nonetheless, as soon as Arteta has his full complement of forwards obtainable once more, the fabled ‘when everyone seems to be match’ bliss managers hardly ever ever get pleasure from, might there be one other challenger for the quantity 9 spot?

Why Mikel Arteta’s “greatest finisher” could lead on the road

As already outlined, Gyökeres, Havertz and Ødegaard in addition to Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus are all hoping to make their eagerly-anticipated returns within the coming weeks.

Right down to threadbare choices, Arteta has been pressured to return to the effectively that by no means appears to run dry that’s Mikel Merino up entrance, one thing Gooners thought they’d seen the top of after final season, however all of the absentees have given Leandro Trossard the chance to significantly stake a declare.

The Belgian leads the best way at Arsenal by way of mixed targets and assists to date this season, having bagged 4 of every, whereas that is additionally the case throughout 2025 to, because the desk beneath paperwork.

Trossard has scored essential targets on the street in opposition to each Fulham and Athletic Membership this season, earlier than firing house this absolute rocket on Wearside final Saturday night time.

Ever since he joined the membership from Brighton for £27m in January 2023, most likely a greater signing than Mykhailo Mudryk would have been, Trossard has been prolific in entrance of purpose, scoring 32 targets and accumulating 27 assists, probably the most of any Arsenal participant throughout this timeframe.

Thus, the Belgian has been labelled “one of the best finisher on the membership”, whereas Tim Stillman of Arseblog agrees, describing him as an ‘wonderful shooter and finisher’, one thing Arsenal’s squad lacks usually, praising his ‘positional versatility’.

Thus, given his output, Arteta goes to wish to have Trossard on the pitch one way or the other.

With Madueke and Martinelli vying for minutes on the left-wing, might we see Trossard difficult for minutes because the centre-forward, actually providing one thing completely different to Gyökeres, on the very least placing stress on the Swede to carry out, one thing he has not had as a result of lack of a real different up till this level?