It took Arsenal until the 64th minute to get going against Lille on Tuesday night.
Of course, it was not for want of trying. Arsenal piled the pressure on the French outfit from the outset, mustering nine shots before Jurrien Timber broke the Lille resolve. From then on, it was plain sailing for the Gunners. Eberechi Eze added Arsenal’s second in the 67th minute. Bukayo Saka added a third in the 71st minute.
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A seven-minute blitz ended fears of a frustrating evening at the Emirates Stadium. Everybody associated with the club went home happy. Well, almost everybody.
Viktor Gyokeres started his third match of the season on Tuesday night. He drew yet another blank. It was another disappointing outing for the Swede in what’s been a wholly disappointing season to date. Worryingly for Gyokeres, they looked a better team following his withdrawal midway through the second half.
Anonymous Gyokeres
Of course, the former Sporting CP man can have no complaints. Indeed, Gyokeres failed to have a shot, nor did he create a chance, against Lille. He attempted just eight passes on Tuesday night, finding a teammate with six. 13 touches were fewer than any other starter in the Champions League clash. Just one of those was in the opposition box. Max Dowman had four, and he replaced Eze with five minutes to go.
“We had to increase the technical level,” head coach Mikel Arteta said when asked about his second-half triple sub. While he didn’t namecheck Gyokeres, that he was replaced with Kai Havertz is a clear indication about how Arteta felt of the striker’s performance.
In truth, it’s par for the course for Gyokeres in the 2026/27 campaign. The 28-year-old has totalled just 56 minutes of Premier League action this season. Last year, he was first-choice frontman under Arteta. Havertz’s injury issues certainly contributed to the ample game time.
Now, though, he’s been relegated to the bench. He’s second fiddle to Havertz, that much is clear.
Attack better without Swedish hitman
Fact of the matter is, Arsenal remain in the market for a new striker. The failed pursuit of Julian Alvarez is a case in point. It’s the one position where Arsenal just do not have the requisite strength in depth. There’s a noticeable drop off in quality when Gyokeres leads the charge. The change in fortunes against Lille following his sub is the perfect example.
“Eze looked happier when Viktor Gyokeres went off,” Theo Walcott said after the game. Gyokeres looks to play more of the old-fashioned number nine role. The barrelling frontman who will hit the target when presented with the opportunity to do so. Feed the Gyok, and he will score, at least in theory anyway.
It means those in support suffer. Arsenal fare better with a selfless frontman leading the charge. Havertz drops deeper to knit the play together. In the process, he drags markers out of position. Alvarez is similar, just at, arguably, a more consistent – availability wise – level. Gyokeres, though, is anonymous when the forwards are required to implement an off-the-ball approach.
And against a Lille side that was inevitably going to sit deeper in the hopes of hitting Arsenal on the counter-attack, Gyokeres was always going to be ineffective. He’s not the sort of striker who is capable of breaking down a low block. In fact, when he starts against one, his team are effectively playing with 10 men. A lock picker, he is not.
Lack of game time impacting consistency
Saying that, it’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation for Gyokeres and Arsenal. He scored 14 league goals and added a further five in the Champions League in his debut campaign at the Emirates Stadium. With the relevant minutes on the pitch, Gyokeres was able to enjoy a solid debut season in the capital. There was a foundation to build upon.
This time around, he’s not having the opportunity to gain a head of steam. The Sweden performances are a perfect example of Gyokeres’ effectiveness when utilised properly. Four goals from four UEFA Nations League outings highlights his goal-getting capability. For the most part, though, Sweden don’t dominate games in the same manner as Arsenal.
There is more space for Gyokeres to run into. More isolated chances to maximise his finishing ability. He’s the main man for his nation. The same can’t be said at Arsenal, where he’s expected to act as a cog in a well-oiled machine. On the contrary, he’s a square peg trying to cram into a round hole.
The issue is what next for Gyokeres. He’s clearly not a striker Arteta is prepared to call upon frequently. There is an argument to be made that Mikel Merino would be a better deputy for Havertz.
Having fluffed his lines against Lille, it’s tough to see where Gyokeres will next be handed another opportunity to prove his worth. An anonymous display did little to aid his cause. To put it bluntly – this seems the beginning of the end for Gyokeres at Arsenal.