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Posted on February 21, 2026 12:30 am | Updated on February 21, 2026 12:07 am
Arsenal are fighting hard to win the Premier League title this season. But their new striker Viktor Gyokeres is not scoring enough. After another poor game in the 2-2 draw against bottom club Wolves, a top pundit has said Arsenal made a mistake.
Gyokeres Struggles in the Premier League
Viktor Gyokeres is 27 years old who joined Arsenal from Sporting Lisbon in summer 2025 for £64 million. In Portugal he was a goal machine, scoring almost once every game. The fans hoped he would be the perfect number 9 to lead the attack.
But in the Premier League this season he has only scored 8 goals in 25 games. Moreover, against Wolves on Wednesday he started but could not change the game. He was taken off after Arsenal let a 2-0 lead slip. The team is still top, five points ahead of Manchester City, but dropped the points again. This has put more pressure on the manager Mikel Arteta.
Joleon Lescott’s Strong Criticism
Former Manchester City defender and Sky Sports pundit Joleon Lescott has spoken out clearly. He said Arsenal should not have picked Gyokeres as their main striker target.
Lescott told Sky Bet: “I thought Viktor Gyokeres was brought in to start for Arsenal. You’re not spending that amount of money… for him not to play. Surely, he’s been brought in to play in all the big games.”
He added: “They brought in Gyokeres because they thought he was the best of the available strikers. It’s easy to say now that Arsenal should have gone for Hugo Ekitike. Joao Pedro is another striker I don’t know why Arsenal didn’t buy.”
Lescott believes these other players are doing much better right now.
The £60m Star Shining at Chelsea – Joao Pedro
Joao Pedro moved from Brighton to Chelsea for £60 million last summer. He is just a little cheaper than Gyokeres. At Chelsea he has been excellent, scoring 10 goals and giving 4 assists in the Premier League. He looks sharp, quick and confident in front of goal.
Before Chelsea signed him, Arsenal and other big clubs were interested. Now Pedro is proving to be a bargain. He is helping Chelsea push for a top-four place while Gyokeres struggles to find his best form.
Hugo Ekitike Also Scoring More
The other player Lescott mentioned is Hugo Ekitike. He joined Liverpool for around £80 million and has already scored 10 to 15 goals in all competitions. Even though Liverpool are not at their best, Ekitike is finding the net regularly.
Both Joao Pedro and Hugo Ekitike have better goal records than Gyokeres this season. This makes fans and experts wonder why Arsenal did not chase them harder.
Big Questions for Arteta and the Title Charge
Arsenal needed a new striker badly before the summer window. They chose Gyokeres over others like Benjamin Sesko, who went to Manchester United. Now, with the title race so tight, every goal matters.
The team has strong defenders and midfielders. Bukayo Saka just signed a new long contract until 2030 and is the team’s big star. But the attack needs more firepower. The blowing of a two-goal lead against weak Wolves shows the problem.
🚨 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗭𝗬 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: Viktor Gyokeres produced 80 G/A in 57 games last season in all competitions.
This season he has only produced 11 G/A in 32 games in all competitions. pic.twitter.com/lpLe5t3nZE
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) January 27, 2026
Fans React and What Happens Next
Arteta has to decide if Gyokeres keeps starting or if he needs to change things. Arsenal face Tottenham soon in the north London derby, plus the Carabao Cup final and Champions League games. They still believe that they can win the league for the first time since 2004.
Arsenal’s dream is alive, but the striker question will not go away until the goals start flowing again.
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