Mikel Arteta has issued a defiant message to Arsenal's title rivals, insisting that the club's big-money striker Viktor Gyokeres is primed to explode into form in the second half of the season.
Struggles for the marquee signing
The Gunners boss made the comments ahead of his side's trip to face Everton, following another quiet outing from the £64million summer signing. Gyokeres was substituted in the 81st minute during Saturday's 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, having managed just a single shot on goal.
The 27-year-old Swede, recruited from Sporting Lisbon to solve Arsenal's long-standing striker search, has found the net only four times in the Premier League. Those goals came against Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, and Burnley – all teams currently languishing in the lower reaches of the table.
More concerningly, Gyokeres has scored just one goal in his last ten top-flight appearances, leading to growing scrutiny over his adaptation to English football.
Arteta points to mitigating factors
Arteta, however, remains fully supportive of his forward and outlined the challenges Gyokeres has faced since his arrival. The manager highlighted a lack of pre-season and a subsequent injury as significant hurdles.
"Everybody was so excited to bring him into the club. We did it," Arteta stated. "We brought a player with an incredible scoring record who had to adapt to the league. He had no pre-season."
He explained that the initial weeks were physically demanding for the striker before he found a rhythm, only to then be sidelined by injury. "Now he's back. I saw a lot of positive things in the last two games that he's done," Arteta added, expressing optimism for the months ahead.
A collective responsibility
Following the narrow victory over Wolves, which was secured via two own goals, Arteta also shifted some focus onto Gyokeres' teammates. He suggested that the service into the box must improve to help the striker thrive.
"We struggled once we arrived into those danger zones to pick a red shirt in the box," the Arsenal manager admitted, analysing the Wolves match. "We had many situations and then we didn't generate many clear chances."
Despite the current difficulties, Arteta's belief in Gyokeres is unwavering. When directly asked if fans will see an elevated version of the player in 2026, he gave a simple, confident reply: "I think so, yes."
The coming fixtures, starting with the challenge at Goodison Park, will be crucial for Gyokeres to begin silencing the doubters and justifying his substantial price tag as Arsenal pursue the Premier League title.
