Ten matches later. An entire month with Viktor Gyökeres, former star of Portuguese soccer team Sporting CP, has passed. And now we have to ask ourselves two important questions. Has he made his mark in his debut season with Arsenal? Will his presence finally bring the Gunners the trophy they had long hoped for? Well, we still have a long season ahead of us. But that hasn’t stopped pundits and fans alike from trying to answer those two questions. So, I won’t let it stop me either.
So, who is Viktor Gyökeres? Arsenal’s new striker was born on June 4th, 1998 in Stockholm, Sweden. He is of Hungarian descent from his paternal grandfather, who moved to Sweden to start a better life. And, he grew up idolizing both Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahimović. He started out his playing career at the age of five with local club IFK Aspudden-Tellus, and later signed with another local Swedish team Brommapojkarna, where he shined so bright that he was eventually signed by English team Brighton & Hove Albion for a two and a half year contract on September 2017. His time with the club was relatively limited as he was constantly sent on loan to play for other clubs in other leagues. Later, he joined Second Division English Side Coventry City. Here, he began to truly shine, and managed to reach a tally of 43 goals in 91 appearances in his two seasons with the club. His performance here netted the attention of famous Portuguese team Sporting CP. His striking ability was remarkable, an athletic sniper with a deadly shot and his strong physical presence in the field. In his two years with the club he scored an impressive 97 goals in 102 appearances, becoming the second highest goal scorer in the club’s history. He won back to back league titles in Portugal, and achieved such a level of prolific scoring that he received the coveted Gerd Müller Trophy in 2025, becoming known as the best striker of the year. And, Arsenal did everything they could to take him under their wing, so they can finally get their own coveted trophy. An excruciating transfer saga ensued between Arsenal and Sporting CP, with Gyökeres caught in the middle. The striker wanted to move to Arsenal, but the club was not too keen to let that happen. So, Gyökeres took it into his own hands, and began to boycott the pre-season training, and the pre-season games until Sporting finally allowed to sell him to Arsenal. His insistence on joining the Gunners, made fans and pundits alike to think greatly of him, even without touching a ball.
So, how does he play? Gyökeres is a Center Forward Striker. His goal is to get a goal, and to keep getting them. His mere presence drags defenders out to block his way. Even so, his speed and immense physical strength allows him to beat most defenders. He excels at winning aerial duels, and ground battles with opponents, turning into what we call a target man. His technical footwork is skilled enough to both shoot and cross, and even swift enough to make sharp flicks and turns with the ball in one-on-one situations. You can also count on him to press the opposition with such strength and unrelenting pressure that they’re forced to give the ball away back to him. And with his immense shooting ability, it’s likely that he’ll hit the mark.
Has he made his mark? The Swedish national definitely struggled in his Premier League debut with Arsenal F.C against English rivals Manchester United. He was subbed off after just under an hour of playing time in favor of Kai Havertz. And his prolific goal scoring has definitely not been as impressive as previous years, having scored only three goals in ten matches.
Don’t let his stats fool you, his mere presence on the field has allowed multiple players to score and cut into space. He has become a sort of magnet for defenders, dragging them towards him, and allowing his teammates to get in goals in his stead. With his added appearance to the club, Arsenal now has multiple goal scoring threats that opponents have to fear at every turn. Though, one could still argue the fact that the main striker has not scored more than three goals in ten matches is something to pay attention to. We must remember that Arsenal as a team has become much more defense oriented and less about passing to the striker, which would explain the lack of service Gyökeres has received. However, this problem is not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. Both Arsenal and Gyökeres have the skill to adapt to a new style of play that fits both of their needs and strengths perfectly.
Is his presence what Arsenal needs to finally win the league? It’s still too early to tell. But, as of now, Arsenal is standing three point clear from English rivals Man City. So clearly, something is working. And if Arsenal can keep this up, they might just clinch the league and finally win their coveted title.