Mikel Arteta has challenged his strikers to score more than 20 goals in a season and backed Viktor Gyökeres as the Premier League leaders prepare to face Liverpool. The Sweden striker is the club’s joint-top scorer in the league with Leandro Trossard on five, but no Arsenal player has passed the 20-goal mark since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2019-20.
Gyökeres has not scored from open play since early November, and Arsenal are on course to set a Premier League record if they win the title with a low top scorer. Chelsea’s Frank Lampard and Manchester City’s Ilkay Gündogan hold the record with 13 goals, while Dennis Bergkamp’s 16 in 1997-98 is Arsenal’s lowest for a champion.
“We want the goals to be spread and our strikers to score over 20 goals,” Arteta said. “That’s the idea.” Kai Havertz, last season’s top league scorer with nine, could return against Liverpool after a long-term knee injury, while Gabriel Jesus is pushing for a start. Arteta rejected suggestions that competition would spur Gyökeres, saying, “I don’t think it’s related… The good thing is that the team is performing really well and winning matches.”
Arteta dismissed comparisons to Arsenal’s Invincibles, insisting his side have a “point to prove” starting against Liverpool. “Probably now what we are doing would have been enough, but now it’s not enough,” he said. “Every week we have a point to prove.”
