January 26 will mark exactly six months since Arsenal announced the signing of
goalscoring sensation Viktor Gyökeres from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon. But, despite many believing the striker to be the missing piece in Mikel Arteta’s title-hunting
Arsenal side, it’s safe to say things haven’t started as well as hoped.
In 27 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions, Gyökeres has scored nine goals and provided just one assist. That’s not an awful return, but it certainly hasn’t matched the hefty price tag (over €70 million) Arsenal paid for him in the summer.
And after the endless comparisons to another tall, imposing, blonde goalscorer from Scandinavia, Gyökeres’ form has fallen short of some lofty expectations. But what has been holding the striker back since joining his new club? And what needs to change if he’s to reach the heights many expected?
Why Is It Just Not Clicking for Viktor Gyökeres at Arsenal?
At first glance, it’s easy to see why so many compared Gyökeres to Erling Haaland when
he was linked with Arsenal. For the most part, it’s the media’s obsession with drawing
comparisons between the two sides, as narratives continue to be forged by whatever
attracts the most clicks.
However, the similarities are obvious, and Arsenal’s move to sign an out-and-out No. 9
was undoubtedly designed to give them the clinical edge to match Manchester City’s.
But what is it about Haaland’s game that has seen him thrive in the Premier League
while Gyökeres has, so far, struggled?
The answer goes beyond the obvious size, strength, and power that many see as both
players’ calling cards. Instead, it’s Haaland’s ability to create space for himself in the
penalty area that sets him apart from most strikers.
Sitting deep is the standard way to nullify a striker’s pace and power, but for Arsenal and
City, playing against a low block, is a weekly challenge. For City, though, their lightning-fast striker also brings the intelligence and wherewithal to sniff out opportunities, even in the
most crowded penalty areas.
Arsenal fans will have fond memories of City’s visit to the Emirates Stadium last season.
But Haaland’s goal in the 5-1 Gunners win is the perfect example of his off-the-ball
prowess.
The screenshot below was taken less than a second before Savinho crosses the
ball to Haaland at the back post. Notice how Haaland is a yard or two behind William
Saliba (images taken from Sky Sports broadcast).
Now see the following screenshot, taken as the ball is making its way across the penalty
area just a moment later. Haaland has already completely lost one of the best
defenders in the Premier League, giving him a free jump and header, which he can now
focus solely on dispatching past David Raya.
It’s that ability to anticipate crosses and position himself accordingly that sets Haaland
apart from other strikers. The Norwegian is so powerful and such a clinical
finisher that his intelligence is often unfairly overlooked.
Compare that to Gyökeres in this passage of play against Newcastle in August. With the Gunners trailing 1-0 in the 84th minute, a cross was sent in from the left-hand side. Mikel Merino rose to head the cross home, but behind him, there was a huge space in the middle of the box, six or seven yards out from the Newcastle goal.
But instead of attacking that space, with his team desperate for an equalizer, Gyökeres lingered outside the far post, with no hope of contributing in any meaningful way. Fortunately for Arsenal, Merino converted the cross, but had it gone beyond him, a more proactive striker would have been there to put the ball in the net.
Erling Haaland Reaping the Rewards of His Movement
The impact of that off-the-ball movement, and lack thereof, is on full display when you compare the two strikers’ shot maps this season (images and data from Opta).
In 1,354 Premier League minutes, Gyökeres has taken 32 shots, an average
of one shot every 42.31 minutes. In the graphic below, you can see where those shots
have been taken from. Each shot is represented by a circle, with each circle’s size
indicating the XG of that shot; the filled circles represent his five goals (two penalties).
As you can see, over half of Gyökeres’ shots are low-probability efforts from outside the
width of the posts. Usually, in this situation, there would be far more talk around the
team’s failure to create more goal-scoring opportunities for their high-profile frontman.
That was the case early on, but that talk has since disappeared as the Gunners continue
to lead the way both domestically and in Europe, despite their striker’s struggles. When
you look at Haaland’s shot map below, you can see why the City striker has scored a
goal every 95.35 minutes, while Gyökeres has managed only one every 270.8.
In 1,907 Premier League minutes, Haaland has taken 85 shots, one every 22.44
minutes, with all but seven of those shots coming from inside the area. The Norwegian
arguably has more large circles (high-probability shots) inside the six-yard box alone
than Gyökeres has in total this season.
And it’s not that City have put the ball in the box more often than Arsenal this season,
it’s actually the opposite. Arsenal have attempted 265 crosses in the Premier League
this season, 52 more than City’s 213. Despite that, the Gunners (62) have completed
only seven more crosses than their rivals (55).
And rather than get better, Gyökeres’s impact in the penalty area has been at its worst
since the turn of the year. Above is a shot map of Arsenal’s efforts in their recent 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest. Of the 15 shots the Gunners attempted, Gyökeres accounted for
just one, and, you guessed it, it’s the only one taken from outside the box.
In his last three Premier League games, the Swede has attempted just two shots (one
vs. Bournemouth, zero vs. Liverpool, and one vs. Forest), and both were from outside
the penalty area.
His last shot from inside the area (in the Premier League) came against Aston Villa at the end of December. That shot was taken 35 minutes into the game, and the striker has since
played 225 Premier League minutes without registering an attempt from inside the box.
All Is Not Lost, but There Is Much Work To Be Done
Despite playing 553 minutes fewer than Haaland, Gyökeres had created only one fewer
chance (11) for his teammates in the league this season. That added responsibility will
continue to be a factor in Arteta’s system, but there’s no doubt that Arsenal brought the
striker in to score goals above all else.
Arteta, though, has proven to be a master at developing players. Bukayo Saka’s dramatic improvement as a finisher and as a two-footed threat stand out as the most eye-catching transformation the Spaniard has overseen.
He’ll need to work similar magic with Gyökeres, who has all the physical and technical
ability to become a league-winning goalscorer for the club. Opposing teams aren’t going
to stop sitting deep against Arsenal, though, and he needs to improve off the ball if he’s
to make the grade in North London.
The range of possible outcomes for Gyökeres’ Arsenal career remains enormous, but at
27, he has less time than most of his teammates to figure it out.
