Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres is having a strong international break with Sweden despite struggling a club level
Viktor Gyokeres scored for Sweden against Poland in the Nations League on Monday
Viktor Gyokeres scored for Sweden against Poland in the Nations League on Monday(Image: (Photo by Linnea Rheborg - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images))
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Viktor Gyokeres has reminded Mikel Arteta of exactly what he can do after a second Sweden goal in four days. The Arsenal striker has scored in Nations League victories over Romania and Poland across 165 minutes played, which is just under how much game time he has managed for the Gunners in their opening seven games of the season.
The performances of Kai Havertz have kept Gyokeres out of the starting XI, but he may have an opportunity to stake his claim with the former departing international duty early after picking up an injury.
It is thought tobe only a minor problem for Havertz, but it could see him managed carefully over a busy October period, when Arsenal play six times in three different competitions. Mikel Merino could be used in the role, but Gyokeres is putting in a strong audition to feature more regularly, with two very similar goals that will please Arteta.
His first was a close-range rebound, which he brought under control before firing a somewhat scuffed effort into the back of the net.
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His strike on Monday evening was far more technical, though, as he volleyed home a deep Patrik Walemark cross after peeling off his man and ghosting towards the back post.
Gyokeres' overall display against Poland was also promising, with clips of his impressive touch, hold, and link-up play emerging. Calibre of opponent must be taken into account, but goals breed confidence, and Sweden boss Graham Potter is certainly getting the best out of him.
Bosnia and Herzegovina are their next opponents and Gyokeres may have a tougher challenge up against Leeds United's Tarik Muharemovic. Given his lack of minutes for Arsenal, a third start in seven days could be challenging, but Potter seemingly has no plans to rest the 28-year-old.
Graham Potter and Viktor Gyokeres
Graham Potter has been full of praise for Viktor Gyokeres
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He told Viaplay: "He has an extra day to recover - these guys are used to playing on a tight schedule. If I told Viktor he wanted to rest, he would probably rip my head off, I think."
In response to the remark, Gyokeres said: "I may not rip his head off; we need his head, but it's clear you want to play. It's important to get ready. We have one more day of rest before the next one."
Potter later added: "It was a tough match [against Poland] and we needed to win. He headed balls away. We focused on winning, and now we're going to try to get everyone to recover. He's ready to play. If he had been allowed to go out earlier, he might have been p***** at me."
His club future was another topic for discussion after the game, following late summer window links to Julian Alvarez, but for Gyokeres, it was always clear where he was going to be for the 2026/27 campaign.
“Of course, there was a lot of speculation,” Gyokeres told Swedish news outlet SVT Sport. “But I had a full pre-season, and it felt good. I was fully focused on Arsenal. For me, staying was a given. I’m extremely happy at the club.”