The missing piece for Mikel Arteta and co?: Will Viktor Gyökeres help Arsenal finally lift the Premier League trophy?
- Anweshan Ghosh
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Arsenal have finally signed Viktor Gyökeres as their hunt for a proven no. 9 has finally come to an end. Gyökeres has signed a five-year deal with the Gunners, following the completion of his €63.5 million move from Sporting CP.
Arsenal have come agonisingly close to winning the Premier League in the last three seasons, finishing as runners-up thrice in a row. The absence of a natural no. 9 did play a big part, which ultimately made the difference between finishing as winners and as the runners-up.
However, with the arrival of Gyökeres, the fans are expecting a major shift in the tides towards their team's favour. With his shadow movement inside the box and his predatory instincts for preying goals, the Swede can prove his mark in England as well, like he did in Portugal.
The 27-year-old is heading into the Emirates with an elite goal-scoring pedigree at Sporting Lisbon, having bagged 97 goals in just 102 appearances for the Portuguese side, while also providing 26 assists.
With Arsenal having already strengthened their midfield and defence with the signings of Martin Zubimendi, Christian Mosquera, and Christian Norgaard, Gyökeres could prove to be the missing spark that Mikel Arteta needed for his side to go all the way through.
The Swede also brings Premier League experience in his bag, having previously played for Brighton and Championship side Coventry, which makes the club confident about him adapting to the change in atmosphere quickly.
Why was signing Viktor Gyökeres extremely necessary for Arsenal?
Even though Arsenal finished second in the points table once again last season, they scored the third-highest number of goals in the Premier League, which prompted various pundits to question whether the Gunners actually need to sign a striker this summer.
However, Arteta and co. scored 22 fewer goals last season than in the 2023/24 season, while also heavily relying on set-piece opportunities as the frontline lacked the brutality up front.
In many games, Arsenal recorded stunning xGs (expected goals) but failed to convert them into actual goals, which always came back to haunt them. This lack of clinicality especially cost them in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, where they desperately sought a comeback.
Whereas, on the other hand, Gyökeres outperformed his xG by 9 goals last season and also contributed a major part in creating chances for his team as well. With these new signings almost spending £210 million this summer, this is “now or never” for Arsenal.
The arrival of Viktor Gyökeres will definitely add more sharpness up front, which will also help relieve some pressure from players like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. The Swede has an astonishing goal-scoring record in Europe, which is why the Gunners are banking on him to become the difference maker next season.
With these new signings almost costing around £137 million this summer, it seems “now or never” for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.
Comments