Do Arsenal have a clear best option at Striker?
Arsenal have four players that can potentially fill the position, lets compare how they stack up against each other
As we enter the business end of the season, Mikel Arteta finds himself in a bit of a pickle with regards to who to pick as Arsenal’s striker.
This position has been a revolving door all season, with injuries, tactical tweaks, and ineffectiveness forcing changes. That leaves Arsenal with four viable options that have all featured at the tip of the spear this season, but with none of the players having performed well enough to clearly make the position their own.
With Arsenal’s attacking output continuing to be under the microscope, who can or should lead the line for Arsenal will continue to be one of the bigger questions facing the manager as he pushes to deliver silverware.
Let’s break it down and compare the options.
All stats here are from the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, while playing striker for Arsenal and include matches in all competitions.
Viktor Gyökeres
The £64m man arrived with the mandate to be Arsenal's "killer." However, the transition from the wide-open spaces of the Primeira Liga to the low blocks of the Premier League has been bumpy.
He has scored 9 total goals (7 excluding penalties) but that is a far way off his goal scoring rate in Portugal, he’s dropped from 0.75 non-penalty goals per 90 down to 0.35 with Arsenal. He was a player that came into Arsenal where the things he brought to the table were heavily dependent on his scoring and without it, his value to the team seems significantly smaller.
The disappointing returns have divided opinions (and it almost certainly depends on your starting position) on the cause of the struggles and the corresponding outlook for the player.
Has he struggled because Arsenal haven’t adapted to him and played to his strengths? He is a player that thrives on quick play and transitions and that is not the way that Arsenal have played with him in the team.
Or has he failed to replicate his Portuguese numbers due to the higher quality of the Premier League opposition. Without the physical advantage the time and space that he enjoyed previously is just not there and this is just the level of output that can be expected.
One of the big metrics that backers of Gyökeres will point to is that with him in the team, Arsenal’s numbers and results are just better.
With and without is a messy game but maybe there is something that is getting picked up here and Gyökeres presence opens things up for others (or maybe it is just noise).
