Viktor Gyokeres’ debut campaign for Arsenal is likely to see him outscore Didier Drogba’s first season at Chelsea, and Mikel Arteta has reacted.
Gyokeres is in searing form and will look to continue that when Chelsea visit the Emirates on matchday 28 of the Premier League season.
There is, however, another reason why the Sweden international is being spoken about with regard to Chelsea, as fans noticed that the 27-year-old is close to matching the numbers Drogba recorded in his first year in England.
Gyokeres has 15 goals for Arsenal thus far, and Drogba recorded 16 in his first season at Chelsea in 2004/05.
With the meeting between the two London rivals in mind, Arteta was prompted to comment on the comparisons between the Premier League icon and his opinion-splitting striker.
- READ MORE: Carlton Cole picks between Cole Palmer and Martin Odegaard in his combined Arsenal and Chelsea XI
Agree or disagree: Comparing Viktor Gyokeres to Didier Drogba is a good thing, he deserves more credit for what he’s done for Arsenal
Mikel Arteta reacts to Viktor Gyokeres and Didier Drogba comparisons
Being compared to a player with the legacy of Drogba in England is only positive for Gyokeres, who has come under fire this season.
That’s what one would assume, anyway, as when the numbers were put to Arteta, he didn’t appreciate the comparison.
“It’s always the case about who you’re comparing with,” the Arsenal manager said, before using property to contextualise the link.
“I have a beautiful apartment, but this guy has the biggest mansion in the world. So my apartment is terrible, or I can be so proud that I worked so hard to get and pay the debts of my apartment and refurbished it and have a beautiful kitchen.
“I go to his house, and I get depressed. So, yeah, it’s depending on the eyes that you look at it. So I think what he [Gyokeres] is doing is improvable, yes, but I think his contribution, I think it’s been important so far.”
Viktor Gyokeres has eight goals in 2026, how many more will he score before the end of the season?
Arteta’s peculiar methods to motivate his players have surprised the media before, and his pre-match press conference words were another instance of that.
The Arsenal boss made his thoughts on comparisons in general very clear, batting away the idea of using comparisons to motivate his striker.
Though Arteta doesn’t want to entertain the Gyokeres and Drogba discussion, fans do, as the numbers are there for all to see.
Gyokeres’ next goal for Arsenal will match Drogba’s tally in his first season in England, and how fitting it would be for that goal to be scored against Chelsea.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
