Viktor Gyokeres started for Arsenal in the recent clash against Liverpool. Arsenal lost the game 1-0, but that’s not the issue. Going away to Anfield and winning against the current Premier League champions is always a big ask. The issue was Arsenal’s lack of threat. Gyokeres, especially, was not able to get into the game at all.
Gyokeres completely nullified
With Saka and Havertz out of the game, and Odegaard and Eze on the bench, all eyes were on Gyokeres for Arsenal. The Gunners were depending on him to get into dangerous areas and convert chances. The striker showed his quality against Leeds United, but he was brought in to win these difficult fixtures with his goals.
That did not happen, though. The 27-year-old never got involved in the game. He went through large portions of the match without even touching the ball, let alone doing something dangerous with it. Viktor had just 17 touches in 90 minutes, the least of any outfield player.
In the attack, the striker with 39 league goals last season, had 0 shots during the entire match. This is a cause for concern for the Gunners, as such a prolific striker not even being able to get a shot off is not normal. The Swede had 5 accurate passes in total, and 2 misplaced passes. He does, however, have 2 chances created. Surprisingly, this is the most by any player in the match.
Of Gyokeres’ 17 touches, only 2 came in the opposition box. All the aforementioned stats may be attributed to a fault in Arteta’s system. However, one issue where the sole responsibility falls on Gyokeres is duels. The 27-year-old lost all three of the aerial duels he attempted. However, he won 3 out of the 5 ground duels he attempted. Interestingly, Gyokeres was the most fouled player in the match with 3 fouls won.
Where is the issue?
Gyokeres, as good as he is, is not perfect. This was known since before he arrived at Arsenal. He had an incredible record in the Primeira Liga; However, the Premier League is not the same. He needs to get used to the intensity of the Premier League before he can fire on all cylinders.
Meanwhile, Arteta and Arsenal knew who they were getting in Gyokeres. Considering they invested so heavily in someone who is known for getting goals, Arteta should be optimising his system to fit Gyokeres’ profile. Erling Haaland, for example, is similar to Gyokeres in that he rarely gets involved in build-up. Yet he remained prolific in England, even breaking the record for most goals in a single PL season in his first season with Man City. How? Man City’s system was built not just to accommodate him, but with him as one of its cornerstones.
Neither team created a chance worth more than 0.11(xG) in Liverpool v Arsenal.
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) August 31, 2025
Will Gyokeres improve
Gyokeres is a natural striker; he will absolutely get the goals if the team around him creates chances for him. Arsenal lacked this against Liverpool; they did not create any chances from open play for Gyokeres to finish. If nothing seems to work, even putting in constant crosses into the box can work. Gyokeres shouldn’t be the one with the most chances created in the game; it should be the players surrounding him.
The performance is something to be concerned about, but with time, Gyokeres should improve. With players like Eberechi Eze and Saka on his wings, he is likely to get more service. The striker himself will get used to the Premier League’s intensity. Finally, if Arteta improves his system to create more from open play, things should work out for the Swede.