Viktor Gyökeres, who signed for the Gunners on 26th July, failed to sparkle once again as Arsenal faced Villareal in their penultimate friendly ahead of the 2025-26 season starting proper.
But while keyboard warriors may be quick to slander the Arsenal hitman, he simply wasn’t platformed to shine.
Gyökeres received little service from his teammates, especially in the first half, where he was forced to create chances for himself. It took him drifting out to the left on a few occasions to try to cut inside for a shot. He was a lonely figure leading the line, with only Mikel Merino managing to find him just as he was about to be subbed off.
In the end, Gyökeres failed to enjoy the dream Emirates debut many had hoped for. The numbers tell the story: just 14 touches, 57% passing accuracy, two shots, 100% success rate in dribbles, and two defensive actions.
But it would be harsh to judge him too quickly because it’s clear where the real problem lies.
For far too long, the belief has been that a top goal-scoring striker would solve Arsenal’s attacking woes. But it’s becoming increasingly clear: no individual attacker is coming to save this team.
What Arsenal needs is a tactical evolution under Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal’s System Doesn’t Platform Strikers
The current setup relies heavily on wing play, particularly down the right, with the left wing often underwhelming. The plan is to create overloads, whip in crosses, and occasionally play to the base of the box for second-ball shots.
But the lack of central play continues to ruin attacking dynamics and contributes little to expected goals (xG), a problem that must be addressed.
System Change or Transfer Window Solution?
Whether it’s switching to a double pivot with Martin Ødegaard as a No.10 and Declan Rice alongside Martin Zubimendi deeper, allowing the wingers to drift inside…
Or whether it’s getting the Eberechi Eze deal over the line and betting on his ability to rip open defences, we’ll have to wait and see.
You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different outcomes.
Arteta and his technical bench have one week to sort out their tactics, or Gooners could be in for a long, bumpy ride this season..
Let us know what you think in the comments. Are you getting worried Gooners?
Daniel O
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I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again, striker was not really our main problem but the problem lies in the LW currently occupied by awful martinell, the mid field is another issue coz most of our midfielders are not ballers and lack creativity. These 2 problem sums up our problem and make us very predictable as only Sarka’s wing is where most of the threat is coming from.
U can’t av martinelli as your starter and an assembly of DMs like rice,noorgard, zubimendi and expect to create much chance for yo striker
Tea, in my opinion, you are talking nonsense.
I have now watched the game and can’t believe you have!!
Martinelli was taking on his full back all the time and was sending over crosses that should have been used more.
Our fanbase always has to have a scapegoat, as Havertz was previously and I could go back every season and name the player that is selected for undue criticism no matter what they do.
As for Gyokeres, let’s remember how long it took Bergkamp and Henry to settle in.
The negativity is mind boggling!!
Its not a scapegoat thing ken,its a player problem. Scapegoat is when that said player is getting picked on as an excuse. Its not an excuse its a statistical fact. His crosses are not accurate and his decision making (and that is the biggest thing) is poor. But it is more than Martinelli.
Well time will tell coz I think you need more time to understand the reality, I’ll remind you then
Tea, valid points, except I disagree with the points raised about Marteneli. The lad requires the LB to make overlapping runs, but the coach prefers inverted wingers, so there lies the problem. Both Leo and Marti are suffering, so would any wide left forward. Gyoks will struggle in this set up, Sesko was not a fool to insert a transfer clause. We need a good Left side CAM, Rice plays better deep. Kai has flopped in this position, so the Xhaka position is still not filled up. We need a player here, who it is I trust Berta to hire the right player. And yes we lack creativity in the center of the park. Odegard has regressed for reasons best known to him alone.
Can’t we at least wait until past a preseason friendly and a particular player having any significant playing time with the team before we start this stuff?
Hear, hear. Regarding Gyokeres, we shouldn’t forget that he hadn’t trained with a team for two months prior to arriving at Arsenal. He clearly isn’t fully match fit and won’t be for at least another game, hopefully the one against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
It isn’t about Gyokores but the insipid build up and POOR coaching and tactics.
Its not about Gyokores but the insipid football AND POOR tactics and coaching.
Yes, in this instance, Gyokeres is just a new boy, preseason tool to use in trying to further a different narrative here.
Agree, plus its pre season and people are looking at tge results. They are irrelevant. Its about, nothing changing from last season. Not creating, like last season, getting caught on the counter, like last season, slow build up, lije last season, poor tactics, like last season, inverted full back s#!t, like last season, massive reliance on set pieces, like last season, wrong way round wingers like last season. Rinse and repeat like last season, nothing is changing, except personell. Its crap football and NEVER going to win anything.
I was responding to the reference to him in the article’s headline.
The 4-3-3 formation is not helping us. Rice is purely a DM, same with Zibimendi, Odegard is the only AM always playing. Odegard should be in the center not right side. The formation only supports the right, because Rice cannot create for Martineli. The formation also supports running to the flanks and not central play. That’s why we rely more on crossings, this formation doesn’t need a pure striker because he will rarely get the ball.
I would prefer a 4-2-3-1 formation. It will make our defence more solid and attack more central for our num9 and Odegard can now link up with both wings not only right side
Arteta loves to unbalance teams!!!!
Wot else are u waiting for?, can’t u see its the same trend as last season, we are not creating much and getting countered like @reggie said so that means they’ve not really improved the team, my hope is on madueke to through in the LW currently occupied by awful martinelli
Agree Michelle; the service to Gyokeres was abyssmal. Arsenal has been playing without a top class centre forward for so long, that the players (and Arteta hopefully not!) have forgotten how to service striker.
In addition Arsenal players particularly in midfield, appear reticent to shoot for goal, losing opportunities to score directly or by following up any parry.
Good post
All this doubt about Gyokeres already it is sad (on social media), we just need time to gel as a team and change the mindset of how we play
Fans need to be patient with Gyokeres; it’s going to take a little time for him to get used to our players and how we play, and they will need time to understand his movement, too. Ideally, of course, we’d all love for him to fit like a glove from day one, but most players need time before adapting to new surroundings
Zubimendi, Mosquera and Dowman were the gleaming bright spots yesterday. Odegaard, Martinelli (after a promising first 20 mins) and Merino were the big disappointments. Odegaard especially looks a shadow of the player that lit the league up a year ago.
As for Gyokeres, I think it’s hard for an out and out no.9 to thrive in today’s low block heavy game. I’d love to see us experiment with a 4-4-2 with either Eze or Havertz as the deeper striker, but it’ll certainly be hard to develop a tactic that doesn’t leave whoever’s up top isolated.
Fundamentally, our issue for a whole has been creating chances around the box. I don’t see the kind of movement patterns that drag defenders around and final balls went nowhere.
A lot of new faces, a lot of problems to solve. I just hope we can nail down a first XI soon and play to our strengths.
Losing 3 goals to a very average side suggests to me that we have defensive problems to resolve before we face Man Utd who have strengthened their attacking options in the current window and seem to be on the brink of signing Sesko..Basically we cannot play a high line back four because, apart from Timber our defenders are not particulary quick in recovery.This is particularly evident down the left flank as neither MLS nor Calafiori are quick which applies also to Gabriel and Kwior at LCB.Against a counter attacking side like Utd our back four need to drop off a yard or two otherwise we are unlikely to keep a clean sheet which is so important as a stepping stone to success.
I was hoping we would sign Sesko but obviously Gyökeres needs time to bed in to Arteta’s system. Anyway my choice has now gone to Man U, deal just announced.
Like you GB, Sesko was my first choice..
You never know though, GB.
The whole experience of trying to get him to come to us was protracted and there just didn’t seem much will on his behalf to push to come. Enter ManUtd and boof, he’s in before you can say Jack Robinson. Either the club were not negotiating in good faith, or Sesko wasn’t sold on moving to us as the speed at which his move to Utd has materialised makes me have my doubts.
Sue P. I think you have something here. Something tells me that RB was well aware of the MU interest at the higher price range some time ago. I’ve read that there is a sell-on clause as well. Whether Sesko’s demands were related to the situation who’s to say but in my mind it is very possible.
MU may very well be the dark horse in the race this season (even before adding Sesko). The lack of European competition should allow them to perform much better in the PL than they would otherwise. I can see something similar to the Chelsea situation from about 10 years ago coming to pass. I hope I’m wrong here.
BB
Such is the pull worldwide of ManUtd!
Utd have struggled to regain the prominence they once enjoyed with Fergie at the helm and can still attract big name players 13 years later and no European football.
They could be dark horses without the pressure of midweek matches. I didn’t find Amorim particularly convincing last season but that’s not to say that this season he and his signings won’t flourish
ARSENAL MUST STOP THIS EXESSIVE INTERVIEWS OF PLAYERS EVERYTIME THEY TURNUP FOR PRACTICE OR MATCHES. OVER EXPOSURE HAS NEVER BEEN A GOOD THING, EVEN IN SHOWBIZ.
ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN IN COMPETETIVE SPORT KNOWS IT’S DRAINING, DIVERTS FOCUS AND DISRUPTS PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAIL OF THOUGHT AND MENTAL PREPAREDNESS, ALL FOR CONTENT CREATORS’ LIKES.
IT’S LIKE BEING INTERVIEWED AT THE ENTRANCE OF YOUR EXAM ROOM, RIGHT BEFORE AN EXAM. 🙄🙄