Mikel Arteta has expressed confidence that Viktor Gyökeres can become the first Arsenal player to score more than 20 league goals in a season since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2019-20. The Sweden striker, signed from Sporting for £64m in the summer, is joint-top scorer for the club with five goals but has not scored from open play since early November.
Arteta challenged his forwards to reach the 20-goal threshold, stating: 'We want the goals to be spread and our strikers to score over 20 goals. That’s the idea.' No Arsenal player has achieved that feat in the league since Aubameyang's 22 goals in Arteta's first season in charge.
The Gunners are on course to set a record if they win the title, as their top scorer could finish with the lowest tally in Premier League history. Chelsea’s Frank Lampard (2004-05) and Manchester City’s Ilkay Gündogan (2020-21) share the current low mark of 13 goals, while Dennis Bergkamp holds Arsenal’s record with 16 in 1997-98.
Arteta dismissed suggestions that competition from Kai Havertz or Gabriel Jesus would spur Gyökeres on, saying: 'I don’t think it’s related. We’re not going to change Viktor’s desire... it will come.' Havertz could return against Liverpool after a long-term knee injury, while Jesus is pushing for a start.
The manager insisted his side have a 'point to prove' starting with the Liverpool match, noting that while Arsenal have more points and goals at this stage than the 2004 Invincibles, they must translate that into trophies. 'Probably now what we are doing would have been enough, but now it’s not enough,' Arteta added.
