Viktor Gyökeres Scout Report At Arsenal 2025/2026

After a third successive season as the Premier League runners-up, Arsenal have been in the market for a serious overhaul. Mikel Arteta ’s side had an impressive UEFA Champions League campaign, beating Real Madrid to reach the Champions League semi-final . However, their lack of goals in crucial situations, especially in their semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain , has led to them confirming the long-desired signing of Viktor Gyökeres . The Sporting CP striker bagged a formidable 63 goals and 17 assists across all competitions for club and country in the 2024/2025 season. Although the Gunners have Kai Havertz , Gabriel Jesus , & Bukayo Saka , the goals have been missing. Is Gyökeres the right man for the job and does he fit Mikel Arteta tactics ? In this player analysis and scouting report , we will compare Viktor Gyökeres style of play with Havertz and Jesus to determine what he brings and how he can help Arsenal. Arsenal Strikers Style Of Play Over the last season, Arteta switched between two strikers, namely Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. The two have different styles of play and offer distinct traits to Arsenal’s attack. In this section, we will shed light on what they bring to the Gunners' attack. Arsenal Strikers In Attacking Moments Kai Havertz is not a natural striker. However, owing to his intelligence and height, he can operate in that position. He started playing there during his time at Chelsea and continued when he moved to Arsenal. Here is an example of the German receiving in a tight space. He links play by laying it off to an arriving teammate. Actions like these help Arteta’s side progress the ball between the thirds. Gabriel Jesus, who regularly played across the frontline during his time at Manchester City , was also deployed as a striker under Mikel Arteta style of play . The Brazilian is adept at operating in tight spaces, peeling wide and combining with his teammates in the midfield and attacking thirds. Here is an example of Jesus receiving in a tight space in the attacking third. He was often seen popping into these pockets of space. Meanwhile, one of the wingers or a midfielder would occupy his spot in zone 14 . [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://totalfootballanalysis.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Havertz-link-up-in-box.mp4"][/video] Havertz is proficient at linking play inside the penalty area. Having great spatial awareness helps his cause, as he often creates space with his movement, even between the lines. In the above video, Havertz sets up Declan Rice for a shot, which the Englishman converts. The German is clever at identifying the opening behind him. As he backpedals, an opponent gets dragged with him. This opens space for Rice to shoot. This move highlights his ability to provide for his teammates in situations where he is not in a goalscoring position. This trait is expected from every elite striker in the modern era. The same can be expected from a very mobile Gabriel Jesus. His ability to link play in and around the box is remarkable, which is one reason Pep Guardiola used him in multiple positions. The Brazilian combines with his teammates on the edge of the box. As he receives a square pass from a teammate, he notices an onrushing defender and sets the ball for a teammate arriving from a deeper position. Moments like these from both Havertz and Jesus create several shooting actions, which have been significant contributions to Arsenal’s attack. Both strikers drop deep to help with progression by momentarily adding numbers in the midfield. Here is a situation where all Arsenal midfielders are closely followed by their opponents. Havertz recognises the free space and drops to receive. He then proceeds to lay it off to the wide area and makes a forward run. This shows that Arteta steers away from rigidity in terms of striker positioning. To operate in his system, strikers must be able to get involved in the build-up . The Arsenal strikers like to peel wide in attacking moments, especially during transition . Since they are avid providers and prefer to be more involved in play, it is natural for them to drift towards areas with more free space. In the example above, the Gunners are on a counterattack . Instead of staying central, Havertz makes a diagonal run into the wide channel. As the opposition defenders follow him, space opens up in the central zone for the quicker wingers to run into. Not all of Havertz’s attacking contribution is towards providing. He also makes some intelligent runs in-behind. Since the German is not the quickest forward, he has to adjust his positioning, time, and runs well to get a head-start on some of the quicker defenders. Here is an apt example of the Germany International making an intelligent run in-behind. He already has a positional advantage over some of the defenders in this situation. To stay onside, Havertz curves his run as the pass is played. Although he was seen making these intelligent movements, he is not the most aggressive runner. This will be a trait expected from Gyökeres. Although movements like these came from Jesus, he did not impress in terms of finishing consistently. Kai Havertz has a more significant box presence than Jesus. His height and intelligent positioning help him connect with several crosses. Above is an example of the German scoring a header from Gabriel Martinelli ’s cross. The striker stays on the defender’s blindside and moves in time to meet the back-post cross. Arsenal Strikers In Defending Moments The Arsenal strikers are different in the way they contribute to the press. Jesus is a willing runner and was often seen pressing high, all the way to the opposite goalkeeper. He made sure to curve his run to force him one side. In the image above, the Brazilian is doing the same. The keeper does not have short options to play, as Arsenal players closely follow all of them. Meanwhile, Jesus cuts the passing lane to the other side. Although Havertz has his moments when he joins the press, he is more inclined to maintain structure, cut passing lanes, and identify pressing triggers to engage. Here is an example of Arsenal in their 4-4-2 defensive shape. Havertz is joined by Martinelli. The German has positioned himself to cut any passing lanes into the central channel. For phases when the Gunners do not opt for a high press and wish to maintain their defensive structure, playing Havertz helps the side. Viktor Gyökeres Style Of Play Mikel Arteta & Arsenal will have high expectations of their latest arrival. The Swede impressed last season with his number of goal contributions. But there is more to his game than just goals. We will dive into detail in this section. Viktor Gyökeres Off-The-Ball Actions In Attacking Phase Here is a situation where Sporting CP is in the attacking phase in a 3-2-5 shape. This is significant because it is similar to how Arsenal operates in the attacking phase. Although they usually play in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 , when they attack, Myles Lewis-Skelly often inverts into the midfield. This action puts him in a double pivot with the defensive midfielder; as the two more advanced midfielders step up, the formation becomes 3-2-5. This similarity between the two teams will make life easier for the Swede as he steps into a familiar attacking structure. One of the highlights of Gyökeres’s style of play is his actions off the ball. He can operate as a traditional striker, but he can also offer a higher radius of action than the likes of Havertz. Joining from a transition-heavy side, Gyökeres is a willing runner who likes to exploit space in-behind. [video width="1912" height="1080" mp4="https://totalfootballanalysis.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Gyokeres-goal.mp4"][/video] In this video, the opponent's backline is fairly high, which gives the Swede an opportunity to make a run into space. With the help of a perfectly timed pass, he finds the back of the net. These situations happen more during positive transition. However, Gyökeres exploits every opportunity he gets, even during the attacking phase. Frequent runs like these stretch the depth, forcing the opponents to lose their vertical compactness. Another way of creating danger is to run to create space for his teammates. Here is an example of the same. Sporting CP are on a counter and Gyökeres makes a curved run towards the left. Both the highlighted opponents get dragged in the process. This opens a lane for the ball carrier to his teammate on the right. The attack results in a shot inside the penalty area. Although the Swede did not touch the ball, his movement created a significant impact. Gyökeres, a goal threat, often influenced the opponents to mark him tightly. It was common to see him double-teamed in the attacking third. The Swede exploited this by pinning them. This opened space in the vicinity, allowing his teammates to get more involved. In this image, Gyökeres is inside the penalty area when the ball is in the wide area. This implies that it can be crossed at any moment. Two opponents are closely following the striker to keep him away from the action. This opens space nearby, which his teammates can exploit. Every elite striker who poses a threat to the opponent’s goal similarly pins defenders. Despite being tightly marked, the Swede uses quick acceleration to get ahead of his direct opponent, especially inside the penalty area. Here, we can see a situation where he does the same. He runs from in front of the defender to meet a cross at the near post. A majority of his goals from last season came from positioning and explosive movements like these. It is one of the traits that sets him apart from the other Arsenal strikers. Given the variety of goals he scores, Gyökeres will also be expected to have a strong presence in the penalty area. He did not score any of his 39 league goals last season with his head. This is an area he will need to refine himself in. However, around 22 of his domestic goals came from inside the penalty area, which directly attests to his formidable box presence. [video width="1864" height="1080" mp4="https://totalfootballanalysis.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Gyokeres-peeling-wide.mp4"][/video] Although he is known for operating as a traditional striker, Gyökeres can move to different areas of the pitch to get involved in play. In the video above, we can see the Swede peeling wide to receive. This drags the opponent defenders and creates space in the central zone. This movement is similar to Havertz’s, as shown before. Viktor Gyökeres On-The-Ball Actions In Attacking Phase As a striker refined in a transition-oriented setting, Gyökeres is adept at offering verticality. Apart from making runs, he is also a fluent ball-carrier. He was often seen aggressively driving with the ball into space during positive transition moments. Here is an example of the Sweden international carrying the ball into space. He drags three Man City defenders in the process, creating ample space for his teammate, who is running down the central channel. Gyökeres can also drop to link play with his teammates. He was usually seen arriving in the midfield third from a higher position to receive. Depending on the space available, he laid the ball to either arriving players from deeper or played it to his wingers whenever the option to carry it forward was not available. Here is an example of Gyökeres dropping into the midfield third to receive. As he opens his body towards the wide channel, his winger starts making a run in behind. At this moment, Gyökeres plays a through pass for the winger to exploit the space behind the opponent's backline. A striker's variety of actions makes him unpredictable for opponents to read. If the defender does not close him down, the striker gets the space to drive with the ball. Meanwhile, if the defender closes him down, he leaves behind space to be exploited by the striker’s teammates. Apart from dropping deep, Gyökeres also showcased his ability in tight spaces. Here, we can see him popping out of his position to get involved in play. He receives from the full-back, lays it off to the winger, and starts an underlapping run. His drifting out of position drags defenders out of position and disrupts the opponent's defensive structure, creating space in the central area, especially zone 14. Getting into these tight spaces means that he has to undergo physical pressure from opponents, especially when facing his own goal; Gyökeres brings this to the table. The Swede has a big frame and is physically strong, which helps him hold off opponents when in tight spaces. [video width="1912" height="1080" mp4="https://totalfootballanalysis.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Gyokeres-physicality.mp4"][/video] In this example, Gyökeres receives the ball with his back to the goal. The opponent gets there in time to apply pressure from a touching distance. Gyökeres skillfully swivels his body and keeps the ball away from the opponent. These actions were common from the Swede when he played for Sporting CP. This also gives Arsenal an edge in link-up play, ground duels, and aerial battles, especially during set-pieces . Viktor Gyökeres Actions In Defending Phase The intensity at which Gyökeres contributes to defensive actions leaves more to be desired. However, he is still a useful member in those moments. The Swede’s pressing is not on the same level as Jesus', as his actions are more focused on maintaining structure and cutting passing lanes. Here is an example of Gyökeres pressing. He is tasked with keeping the opposition pivot occupied. So, whenever he presses, he does so while cutting the passing lane to the pivot. This forces the opponents to find a different solution in a horizontal pass, which in turn helps his team maintain structure. He will fit into Arteta’s 4-4-2 pressing structure. As we discussed before, the Swede is adequate when it comes to staying organised to cut passing lanes. The Swede also helps out in defence by tracking back. He usually makes sure to engage with an opponent within pressing distance. Here is an example: the opponents are attacking down the central channel. Gyökeres, being in the vicinity, initiates blindside pressure and wins the ball back. Conclusion Viktor Gyökeres is a versatile, fast, and strong striker who brings variety to Arsenal’s attack. He has similar traits to Kai Havertz and more. He has a larger radius of action than the German and a few additional traits, such as pace, physicality, and a poacher instinct. Although he cannot press as well as Gabriel Jesus and does not possess the elite link-up play like the Brazilian, he surpasses the former Man City attacker in several important parameters, like finishing and physicality. All three strikers bring slightly different traits. However, Gyökeres brings a large array of actions with certain room for improvement. With Mikel Arteta's coaching style, he is bound to grow and will contribute in a significant manner.

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