Viktor Gyokeres arrived at Arsenal as a goal machine, with 97 goals in 102 games at former club Sporting. He was branded as the natural goalscorer, the final piece of the puzzle that Arsenal were missing.

So, no goal in a month – hitting six straight blanks – is a concern for the forward recently given the European Golden Shoe prize at the Ballon D’Or Awards.

“He would get frustrated if he went three or four games without a goal,” said Coventry’s former assistant manager Adi Viveash to Sky Sports last season about working with the striker in the Championship.

“He didn’t want to go that long. He would get a little bit edgy if he went a few games without one.”

A record of three goals in ten games in Arsenal colours isn’t horrendous, especially with the team winning eight of those matches.

Yet there has been a sense of disappointment around Gyokeres so far, particularly as he averaged 35 goals across his two league seasons in Portugal.

For example, the forward failed to have a shot in the recent big games with Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs. It would be interesting to see how many games the Swede would have started had Kai Havertz been fit and available.

Yet the mood at Arsenal is one of ‘no need for panic’ and that Gyokeres is doing just fine.

“He’s a big part of the reason why we’re winning these games,” said Bukayo Saka this month. “The work that he does is unbelievable for the team,” added Mikel Arteta. Gabriel Martinelli has still backed him to get as many as 40 goals this season.

So what is Gyokeres doing that isn’t being reflected in the goal numbers?

Arteta gave a hint after Arsenal’s most recent victory over West Ham: “The way he stretches the back four and the spaces he opens.”

The numbers back that up. Only Ollie Watkins has made more runs challenging the backline than Gyokeres this Premier League season.

This is a very different striker profile to what Arsenal have had before, with Gyokeres challenging the opposition back four nearly twice as much as Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus averaged last season.

And those runs help to create holes in the back four. One example came away at Newcastle, when Gyokeres’ run down the right channel dragged Malick Thiaw out of position, creating a large gap which Arsenal exploited – as Leandro Trossard struck the post.

That large gap is one of the examples of “spaces” that Arteta wants Gyokeres to create, thereby improving Arsenal’s creativity levels.. You hear a lot from Arteta about the desire to find “open spaces” in his press conferences. It is a key part of his tactics every week.

And those running actions are deemed Gyokeres’ strong suit. Former Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson told Sky Sports this season that his channel runs are at an “extremely high level” – and that he is one of the “best in the world” at those movements.

There have even been some examples where Gyokeres has managed to create opportunities for others, despite not being involved in the play.

The Swedish striker is tightly marked in England – at a higher rate than any Premier League player this season. Giving a striker with a 40-goal-a-campaign record barely any space to operate is probably a good idea.

But what Gyokeres also does is attract more than one centre-back in the box, which creates a free man. At Newcastle, Eberechi Eze had a free shot on goal in the space left behind by Gyokeres being occupied by both Thiaw and Sven Botman.

Eze was another beneficiary of Gyokeres’ pinning of multiple defenders against West Ham. The Swede was closely marked by Max Kilman and Dinos Mavropanos all game and late in the first half, Eze found space in the box to shoot because of it, which led to Declan Rice’s opener.

“We’re so grateful for what he does,” said Saka after that West Ham game. “How he holds the ball, how he makes the runs, the threat he gives us.”

And that is not all. Gyokeres also stretches and creates problems for the opposition back four off the ball – in his pressing.

Gyokeres operates at a slightly higher level in this regard compared to what Arsenal had before from their centre forward. While Havertz was known as an avid presser, the Swede is slightly better at creating turnovers of possession from them.

Yet while Gyokeres’s underrated, off-the-ball work can be praised, Arsenal also signed him to score. “His goals will come,” added Saka.

“We know that, we believe that and we believe in him. I don’t think there are any doubts. He’s still up, he’s still happy and he’s still giving his best every game.”

Saturday 18th October 5:00pm


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Arsenal have been in a similar situation before with central attacking players. For example it took Arteta’s side a long time to work out how to play with Havertz – whose first goal for the club from open play came in late November of his first season.

Gyokeres has also been in similar scenarios over his career. He never got going at Brighton, started slowly at Coventry, while the forward also had to face questions over his weight and speed during his early Sporting days.

Arsenal have to get used to Gyokeres in the same way the forward has to get used to the Premier League. It takes time for the striker to click, but the Gunners will be hoping that a more favourable set of fixtures coming up is the period where he does.

Watch Fulham vs Arsenal live on Sky Sports Premier League this Saturday from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm