How two big changes helped Arsenal bring the best out of Viktor Gyokeres | OneFootball

Gunners frontman has transformed into most in-form striker in Premier League

Gyokeres then looked brilliant for 45 minutes at Turf Moor in November only for a hamstring injury to halt his momentum.

On his return, Gyokeres managed just one goal in ten appearances - a penalty against Everton - and major doubts were raised over his contributions to the Arsenal team.

Gyokeres scored twice in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Sunderland

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Now, though, he is on his best run of form for the Gunners, with his brace in Saturday's 3-0 win over Sunderland taking him to six goals in eight matches.

Not that you would know it from his demeanour as he walked off the pitch.

“Viktor, when you look at him, it's very difficult to understand his emotions,” Arteta said after the match. “Because he looks straight at you and you don't really know. But he doesn't seem too affected by the real highs or the lows.”

It is too soon to say that Gyokeres is now the man to fire Arsenal to the Premier League title, but he is showing clear signs of the kind of form he showed in Portugal to persuade Arsenal to spend £64million last summer.

Asked on Saturday what had changed in his use of Gyokeres to get the striker firing, Arteta replied: “Well, obviously, he came on in moments as well when the game probably was a little bit more open. Today he had more company as well, in and around him.”

Space and support have been the two keys factors in Arsenal getting the best out of Gyokeres.

Gyokeres now has six goals in his last eight games

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The 27-year-old will want to be starting every match but using him more off the bench has played to his strengths.

Against Inter Milan at the San Siro last month, the hosts were chasing the match when Gyokeres was brought on, ensuring he did not have to face the kind of low block he has seen plenty of this season.

Gyokeres had half the pitch to himself as he got on the end of Gabriel Martinelli's brilliant pass on the counter and when the ball rolled to him in space on the edge of the box, he finished superbly.

Martinelli and Gyokeres combined again on Saturday in the closing seconds. Sunderland committed players up the pitch and Martinelli burst through on goal, squaring for Gyokeres to finish.

Arsenal did not sign Gyokeres to be a super sub, but he has looked more dangerous in that role than when featuring from the start.

Providing him with more support has also made a difference in recent matches, with Kai Havertz's return from injury crucial.

Kai Havertz’s return from injury has been key for Gyokeres

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Rather than replacing Gyokeres as the starting striker, Havertz has largely played in midfield since coming back into the side.

He is very different in profile to Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze and Havertz has effectively been a second striker at times, bursting into the box and making runs beyond Gyokeres.

That is in stark contrast to Odegaard, who is more comfortable dropping deep to receive the ball and looking to control the match. That has often left Gyokeres too isolated.

Havertz has set up Gyokeres for two goals in the last four matches. Odegaard is yet to assist the Swede this season and the pair have not looked a natural fit.

With Havertz linking play and contributing to the build-up of Arsenal's attacks, Gyokeres has been left to the business of scoring goals.

The German rolled the ball into Gyokeres' path on Saturday for his first goal, an emphatic strike at the near post.

It was the finish of a confident striker, the kind you would not necessarily have backed Gyokeres to produce a month ago.

He now has more goals across all competitions in 2026 than any Premier League player. Arsenal finding more of a solution up front is an ominous sight for their title rivals.