Viktor Gyokeres has struggled for regular goals since arriving at Arsenal from Sporting CP, and former Gunners star Nigel Winterburn has issued his verdict on the striker
Jake Stokes, Aaron Morris Senior Sports Reporter and Mark Wakefield
13:04, 01 Nov 2025
Viktor Gyokeres has scored five goals for Arsenal this season(Image: Getty Images)
Former Arsenal star Nigel Winterburn has pinpointed what he believes to be the reason behind Viktor Gyokeres’ lack of goals so far this season.
The 27-year-old frontman, who the Gunners brought in from Sporting CP during the summer transfer window for £64m, has battled to find his scoring touch this campaign. Gyokeres has appeared nine times in the Premier League for the Gunners, yet he’s managed just three goals, with two of those coming against Leeds United on his home bow back in August.
The Sweden international’s sole other goal came against Nottingham Forest, also at the Emirates Stadium, back in September. Since that moment, he’s failed to find the back of the net, failing to score in each of his previous five matches in the Premier League.
Gyokeres did, however, score a double against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, but by that stage Arsenal had already established a two-goal advantage.
Ahead of Arsenal’s next Premier League clash with Burnley on Saturday, Winterburn reflected on Gyokeres’ turbulent beginning in North London.
Viktor Gyokeres has endured a tough time in front of goal for Arsenal(Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
“I don’t think it’s him [to blame for his lack of goal],” Winterburn told football.london, via Casino.org. “I actually probably look at it as a bit of a role reversal. My personal take is I think he’s looked a lot sharper in the last few games rather than at the start.
“Let’s just talk about percentage goals-wise. He’s not where he wants to be. He makes some intelligent runs. I still think that the rest of the team are adapting around him. They’re just about working out what he’s doing, where he wants the ball.
“There’s no doubt in my mind those goals will come. At the moment, we’ve been dominant on set plays, and we’ve struggled in open play a little bit to create lots of chances, which is not down solely to him.
“But to me, he looks more comfortable in the last two or three weeks in the team than I think at the start of the season. Mikel Arteta will be doing a huge amount of work with him in training.
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“I think that will all come together. At this stage, to be honest with you, I’m not worried about it. If he’s still, let’s say, struggling for goals, which is not all about what you want your striker to do.
“You want link-up play. You want movement as well. But if we’re still talking about the same things at Christmas, it may be more of a slighter concern, and going through into January.
“But at the moment, I’m not worried. Personally, as I just said, I think he looks a lot sharper in the last two or three weeks than he’s looked at the very, very start of the season.”
