Viktor Gyokeres has faced one specific criticism for Arsenal so far this season, but Saturday’s game against Sunderland arguably dispelled it.
The Swede has scored six goals for the Gunners since his summer move from Sporting, a respectable return for a player adapting to the intensity of the Premier League.
While he’s offered Mikel Arteta’s side a lot outside of his goal-scoring, Gyokeres has still been berated by fans and the media for elements of his performances.
However, Arsenal slipped up against Sunderland at the weekend in a match which clearly showcased what they lack without their number nine.
Viktor Gyokeres ‘bullying’ weaker teams is a positive for Arsenal
Arsenal spent £67.5 million on Gyokeres after the 27-year-old scored 54 goals in 52 games for Sporting last season.
While his record in Portugal was exceptional, the large majority of his goals came against sides in the bottom half of the Primeira Liga.
This, combined with his inability to even take a shot against Liverpool and Manchester City for the Gunners, has led to accusations that he’s merely a ‘flat track bully’.
However, a striker who can reliably score against weaker opposition is arguably what Arsenal needed after drawing 14 games last season.
Against Sunderland, Arteta’s team just about came up short and could have done with Gyokeres’ predatory instincts in and around the box against weaker Premier League defenders.
Rio Ferdinand addressed this on his YouTube channel, arguing that the Sweden international ‘bullying’ weaker teams is a positive for Arsenal.
“My point about Gyokeres scoring against the weaker teams was it wasn’t that that’s all he’s good at. It was that it’s important to do that,” Ferdinand said.
“You guys tripped up this week, if you’re going to put it like that, have tripped up against a team that people expect you to win against. So you need a player like that. If he’s going to be a bully of the average teams, great. A great asset to your squad.”
Kai Havertz will play in a lot of bigger games for Arsenal
Kai Havertz is set to return from injury after the international break, and he may be the man to lead the line for Arsenal against the best teams.
The German is better in the air and more of a physical focal point than Gyokeres, making him better suited to games where Arsenal need their striker to hold the ball up, retain possession and relieve pressure.
Gyokeres’ strengths lie in running in behind and stretching the opposition backline, not in contributing to build-up play and, thus, he’ll be less useful against the better sides.
| Statistical Comparison 2024/25 (League Only) | ||
| Stat | Gyokeres | Havertz |
| Appearances | 33 | 23 |
| Goals | 39 | 9 |
| Assists | 7 | 3 |
| Shots per 90 | 4.08 | 2.54 |
| Non-Penalty Expected Goals per 90 | 0.69 | 0.46 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 1.96 | 0.82 |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.22 | 0.12 |
The return of Havertz could provide Arsenal with renewed threat against their direct rivals. Against City and Liverpool this season, the Gunners were somewhat subdued offensively, and this may have been a direct result of Gyokeres’ style of play.
If their marquee new signing does live up to the ‘flat track bully’ tag, then Arteta may have the perfect set of strikers at his disposal.
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