£27m star named Arsenal’s ‘best finisher’

Has Victor Gokeres lived as much as pre-season expectations at Arsenal?

Up to now, the Sweden worldwide striker has scored six objectives for the Gunners, most notably scoring twice within the 4-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid within the Champions League.

Nevertheless, because the saying goes, the guts grows nostalgic in its absence.

Gokeres limped off at half-time within the opener in opposition to Burnley at Turf Moor and missed the following journeys to Prague and Sunderland. His absence was felt through the 2-2 draw on the Stadium of Mild. Maybe his significance solely grew to become clear in his absence, as Mikel Arteta actually lacked gamers who might run in on the again or reinforcements off the bench.

Earlier than struggling this damage, Gokeres had began all 13 of Arsenal’s Premier League and Champions League video games, taking part in 90 minutes within the absence of substitutes in 9 innings, with Kai Havertz having not featured since injuring his knee within the opening sport at Outdated Trafford.

Arteta desires his cavalry again forward of the North London derby after the worldwide break and with all six of Arsenal’s injured attackers near returning, might ‘the membership’s finest finisher’ problem Gokeres for the beforehand undisputed beginning berth?

The significance of Kai Havertz for Arsenal

If Arsenal are to elevate Manchester Metropolis to the Premier League title, they want key gamers to stay match and obtainable.

For Arteta, it is William Saliba, Gabriel, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. Some may argue that Julian Timber can be on this unique group, however Martin Odegaard was actually there too earlier than his damage issues this season and final season.

Should you ask the supervisor, if not some onlookers, he’ll let you know that Kai Havertz can be a top-flight key determine for Arteta, even when the zeitgeist has modified for many supporters.

As of 2025, the Germany worldwide has performed simply 817 minutes, 754 of which got here after struggling a critical hamstring damage throughout warm-weather coaching in February, and simply after finishing pre-season, he suffered a knee damage in opposition to Manchester United in August that required surgical procedure.

Initially signed for a very totally different position, Arteta mentioned on the time of his arrival: “He brings an enormous quantity of power to our midfield,” however after Havertz’s experiment with the left-eight did not go as deliberate, he moved on to play as a centre-forward and has scored 29 objectives for the Gunners thus far.

So what Arteta has proven is that if Havertz is out there, he intends to discover a place for him within the crew, so the concept that Gokeres’ arrival will finish his Arsenal profession is not at all the case.

Clearly, the pre-season plan was for the pair to time-share the centre-forward position, however nobody is aware of if that may have prevented Gökeres from getting injured, however it might have undoubtedly benefited him, provided that the Swede’s finest two performances at St James’s Park and Turf Moor each got here after he was given relaxation after the EFL Cup sport in opposition to Thailand.

But when Arteta as soon as once more has sufficient forwards in place, might there be a brand new challenger for the No. 9 spot throughout that fabled “everyone seems to be match” second that managers hardly ever take pleasure in?

Why Mikel Arteta’s “finest finisher” can lead the road

As already outlined, Gokeres, Havertz and Odegaard, in addition to Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus, are all hoping to make their long-awaited return within the coming weeks.

Right down to last-minute choices, Arteta has been pressured to return to a nicely that by no means appears to run dry in Mikel Merino up entrance, and whereas the Gooners thought they had been finished after final season, all of the absences have given Leandro Trossard an opportunity to noticeably stake his declare.

The Belgian is Arsenal’s prime scorer for objectives and assists thus far this season, with 4 objectives every, and it will stay the identical from 2025 to 2025, because the desk under exhibits.

Trossard has scored essential objectives in each video games in opposition to Fulham and Athletic Membership this season, and he unleashed this absolute rocket on Wearside final Saturday evening.

Since becoming a member of the membership from Brighton in January 2023 for £27m, arguably a greater deal than Mykhailo Mudryk, Trossard has been prolific in entrance of purpose, scoring 32 objectives and accumulating 27 assists, probably the most of any Arsenal participant in that interval.

The Belgian has thus been labeled as “the membership’s finest finisher”, with Arseblog’s Tim Stillman agreeing, describing him as “a superb shooter and finisher”, one thing that Arsenal’s squad typically lacks, and praising his “positional versatility”.

So, given his efficiency, Arteta will need to have Trossard on the pitch indirectly.

With Madueke and Martinelli competing for minutes on the left, might Trossard problem for minutes at centre-forward, actually providing one thing totally different to Gokeres, and at the very least placing strain on the Swede to carry out, one thing he hasn’t been capable of do as a result of lack of a real alternative?