Arsenal legend now says Viktor Gyokeres ‘needs to ask himself’ a crucial question

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Emmanuel Petit had a message for Viktor Gyokeres after watching Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Brentford.

Mikel Arteta selected Mikel Merino over Gyokeres to face the Bees, and his decision paid off, as the Spaniard scored his third goal of the Premier League season.

Merino’s goal contribution tally for the year has now risen to 30 for club and country, as he continues to flex his ability to operate as a number nine.

The 29-year-old’s form has given Gyokeres a lot to think about, as the summer signing now finds himself having to compete for a starting spot against a defensive midfielder.

Emmanuel Petit says Viktor Gyokeres must ask himself about Mikel Merino’s form

Arriving at Arsenal on the back of scoring 54 goals for Sporting CP over the 2024/25 season, very few would’ve anticipated seeing Merino start ahead of Gyokeres.

Though it’s only happened twice, as the Swede has been out injured, it could happen a lot more frequently, as right now, Merino is in undroppable form.

The squad situation prompted Emmanuel Petit to discuss Gyokeres when speaking on Premier League Productions, where praise for Merino turned into a discussion about competition. 

“Amazing, his movement is typical of a striker in the penalty area, he caught the cross from White, his finishing is great,” Petit said of Merino.

The Arsenal icon then asked, “So Gyokeres needs to ask himself what he’s doing on the bench?”

With Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus yet to be reintegrated into the side, Arteta suddenly has four strikers to choose from, a race that, at present, Merino is leading.

How Gyokeres compares to Merino this season

Putting the victory aside, Gyokeres might not have liked what he saw against Brentford, as Merino only strengthened his claim to the starting XI. 

The Spain international claimed his third goal and third assist of the Premier League season, eclipsing Gyokeres’ goal contribution tally.

What’s a concern for Gyokeres is that it’s not only direct goal contributions that Merino is outperforming the Swede, but also in terms of his finishing ability, too.

As per Sofascore data, Merino’s shot conversion rate is 25%, while Gyokeres’ is 20% in the Premier League. 

Petit’s concern about Gyokeres actually carries some weight, as the talisman shouldn’t be satisfied being benched by Merino, with a solution needed quickly.