Viktor Gyokeres Emphatically Responds to Mikel Arteta With the Wrong Answer

LONDON — Before coming up against a Sporting CP side spearheaded by Viktor Gyökeres during his final goal-laden season in Lisbon, Estrela da Amadora defender Ferro claimed the only way to stop the relentless finisher was with a “magic potion.” Whatever he cooked up didn’t work. Gyökeres scored twice and set up the other goal in a 3–0 win.

At the minute, it seems as though it would take a magic potion to get Gyökeres scoring.

Arsenal’s beleaguered striker endured a bizarre debut campaign, managing to somehow underwhelm while putting up deceptively impressive numbers. Gyökeres is struggling for minutes as much as goals at the start of his second season.

After Arteta turned to a slightly injured Kai Havertz against Leeds United on Saturday instead of the Sweden international fresh from a prolific burst of form for his country, the question of what Gyökeres would have to do was put to the Arsenal manager.

“He will play games and he will have minutes,” Arteta promised, “and the best way [to earn more] is when they enter the pitch, show how good they are. That’s it.” Gyökeres showed how good he was in Tuesday’s Champions League victory over Lille. Not very.

Gyokeres’s Worrisome Form Continues

Viktor Gyökeres covering his face in shame. — Viktor Gyökeres can’t even get into position to miss. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Gyökeres was given the task of leading the line for a much-changed Arsenal for their first Champions League home game of the season, but fans could be forgiven for failing to spot the bumbling figure wearing No. 14. The Swede managed just 12 eminently forgettable touches. Less than half as many as his goalkeeper David Raya.

The focal point of Arsenal’s attack simply couldn’t make the ball stick, acting as a fleshy vortex where all forward forays went to die. Gyökeres even managed to get flagged for offside without touching the ball or being the intended recipient of a pass; his run in the eye-line of Berke Özer rendered Eberechi Eze’s first-half shot on target entirely null and void.

In isolation, anyone can be forgiven for an ineffective performance. Lille are hardly helpless patsies, currently lying second in Ligue 1 above Paris Saint-Germain. But this is the distressing normality for Gyökeres, a striker who not only fails to score but struggles to even shoot. It’s been almost 200 minutes of Premier League and Champions League action since Gyökeres last even attempted an effort in anger for Arsenal.

Viktor Gyokeres in UCL, PL in 2026–27

Appearances: 5
Minutes: 196
Goals: 0
Shots: 0
Shots on Target: 0

Emirates Losing Their Patience

Viktor Gyökeres tumbling through the air. — Anger has given way to apathy at the Emirates. | Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Toward the end of the goalless opening 45 minutes, Gyökeres folded in half while jumping under a long ball forward. It was the first sign that even the crowd had lost patience with their frontman, letting out a groan of frustration rather than any appeals for a non-existent foul.

When Arteta finally put Gyökeres out of his misery with a substitution in the 65th minute, seconds after the striker watched Jurriën Timber deliver a deft turn and finish he can scarcely dream of, there was a notable silence from the Emirates. The absence of noise befitting an absent performance which has turned whatever anger may be directed toward an $85 million misstep to apathy. Havertz’s arrival was greeted with a roar.

However, an even bigger cheer was saved for Olivier Giroud coming off Lille’s bench. There were was a thin smattering of boos from those who had not forgotten the Frenchman’s contributions for Chelsea, but the overwhelming response was one of warmth for a striker who scored 105 goals for Arsenal.

Giroud serves as a fitting counterpoint for Gyökeres. The towering forward was never a reliable finisher and could inspire frustration from fans but supplemented his game with the type of silky combination play that would give Gyökeres crossed eyes. Arteta hailed his former teammate as “extremely intelligent” before their reunion. “He was so good at connecting with other players.” Those are not traits which can be naturally assigned to Gyökeres.

Clear Set of Starters Emerging

Arsenal players celebrating. — Mikel Arteta’s first-choice XI is coming into focus. | Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

If the Emirates is starting to turn on Gyökeres, Arteta certainly wasn’t impressed. Midway through the first half, the Basque boss almost ventured onto the pitch, such was the anger with which he implored his striker to drop back after Lille had played through their disjointed press.

In fairness to Gyökeres, he was not the only understudy to underwhelm on a night when Arteta changed half of his outfielders from Saturday’s league win. The entire frontline was disheveled, particularly off the ball. At one point Declan Rice was left with both arms outstretched in fury, questioning where were the red shirts who had been supposed to press Lille.

Davide Ancelotti cleverly sent Hákon Arnar Haraldsson infield from his perch on the left wing, operating in that corridor of uncertainty between three Arsenal players. Lille were allowed to complete 85% of their passes in an unintentionally passive first half.

Arsenal found the breakthrough before Arteta had brought on his cavalry, but the moment of brilliance came from Timber, who would hardly look out of place in the team’s first-choice XI. It was concussive how quickly the balance of the game shifted after the goal was swiftly followed by the introduction of Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka and Havertz.

Ødegaard is Arsenal’s leader on and off the pitch, with the captain orchestrating the team’s press. Within minutes of his introduction, the area of the pitch which Lille had repeatedly overloaded was precisely where they lost the ball, presenting Saka with the chance to slide a pass across the box for Eberechi Eze. Saka completed the seven-minute burst of scoring himself to wrap up all three points.

By then, Gyökeres had taken his familiar place on the bench, panting and looking around with a gentle sigh of personal defeat. Perhaps Ferro had managed to slip him that magic potion after all.

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