Ahead of Pedro & Ekitiké 

Do three Viktor Gyökeres Arsenal scoring stats show he's unfairly criticised?

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Viktor Gyökeres hasn’t truly convinced since his big-money move to Arsenal in the summer but he enjoyed his strongest display for the Gunners in the North London derby. The 27-year-old scored twice, including a stunning finish for his first, as Mikel Arteta’s men clinched a crucial 4-1 win over Tottenham to extend their lead over Manchester City at the Premier League summit to five points.It wasn’t just Gyökeres’ two goals that deserved praise as his all-round game impressed and much improved from some unconvincing displays across the season.

Albeit it was against a makeshift defence in a relegation threatened team, Gyökeres looked very sharp and physically dominant to earn glowing praise from Arteta. “I think it’s probably the best game that he has played for us,” admitted Arteta. “The most complete of the two goals by his overall performance, I think, was incredible.” The 27-year-old has faced significant criticism this season and that’s often been justified but he’s undoubtedly in very good form in 2026.

Viktor Gyökeres: Top Premier League scorer in 2026

Gyökeres’ brace against Tottenham took his tally to the season to 15 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions. Gyökeres is Arsenal’s top goalscorer and he’s scored the most goals from a new signing in their debut season since Alexandre Lacazette (17) in 2017/18. And as the graphic below illustrates, no Premier League player has scored more goals in 2026 than the Swedish striker.

Gyökeres now has eight goals in 14 appearances since the turn of the year, which moved him ahead of João Pedro and Anthony Gordon – both on seven. Interestingly, the Arsenal striker has now scored more goals overall than fellow summer signings Pedro (14) and Hugo Ekitiké (14), who have both been showered in praise. The jury, unquestionably, remains out on Gyökeres as evidenced by failing to register a shot on target in 15 of 26 league games this season and he’s yet to truly turn up in the big games. But the Swede has shown signs of optimism in recent weeks and could he finally be acclimatising to new surroundings after joining from a far inferior league?