Arsenal supporters have had little reason to complain this season, but frustration is beginning to surface — and Saturday’s goalless draw against Liverpool only intensified those concerns.
Mikel Arteta’s side were held to a 0–0 stalemate at the Emirates by an injury-hit Liverpool team, missing several key figures under new manager Arne Slot. While the visitors delivered a disciplined defensive display, the bigger talking point was Arsenal’s lack of cutting edge in a match that could have pushed them eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice both went close in the first half, but once again, Arsenal’s dominance failed to translate into goals. It was another reminder that, despite their title credentials, questions remain over whether Arteta truly has a reliable goalscorer to lead the line.
The club attempted to solve that problem in the summer. For now, however, that decision is looking increasingly questionable.
Arsenal 0–0 Liverpool: Gyokeres Fails to Make an Impact
Arsenal made Viktor Gyokeres their marquee signing in July 2025, paying £64 million to Sporting CP after the Swede enjoyed a prolific season in Portugal. He arrived with a fearsome reputation — one of Europe’s most lethal forwards, including a memorable Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City.
The expectation was clear: Gyokeres would finally become the number nine Arteta had been missing.
Instead, his Premier League adaptation has been alarmingly underwhelming.
Against Liverpool, Gyokeres was virtually anonymous during his 64 minutes on the pitch. He managed just eight touches, failed to register a single shot, and was comfortably handled by Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté throughout. Arsenal were effectively blunt through the middle, despite enjoying long spells of possession.
It was another worrying performance in a season where Gyokeres has scored just five league goals in 19 appearances — numbers that fall well short of expectations for a striker leading a title charge.
Gary Neville summed up the mood on Sky Sports when Gyokeres was withdrawn for Gabriel Jesus:
“Ineffective. A really poor night… He has to do more.”
Arteta Has Shown He’s Ruthless — Gyokeres Shouldn’t Be Exempt
Arteta has never been afraid to make difficult decisions. He replaced Aaron Ramsdale with David Raya, moved on big personalities, and prioritised performance over reputation.
If Gyokeres’ struggles continue, there’s little reason he should be treated differently.
Gabriel Jesus is now back from injury and offers sharper link-up play with Saka and Martin Ødegaard, while Kai Havertz — when fully fit — remains a viable alternative after bulking up ahead of the season to operate centrally. Neither is a perfect solution, but both offer more fluidity than Arsenal currently get from Gyokeres.
At this stage, Arteta may have no choice but to reconsider his faith in the Swedish striker — especially with a Premier League title at stake.
Arsenal Fans Lose Patience With Number 14
When Gyokeres arrived, he was handed Arsenal’s iconic number 14 shirt , a number synonymous with Thierry Henry. While comparisons were always unfair, the symbolism only heightened expectations.
So far, Gyokeres has struggled to justify that responsibility.
His inability to influence matches, hold up the ball, or consistently threaten inside the box has left supporters increasingly vocal. Social media reaction during and after the Liverpool match was brutal.
One fan wrote:
“At the end of the season, whoever signed Gyokeres to Arsenal must be sacked or relieved of their duties.”
Another compared the difficulty of winning the league with him leading the line to Arsenal’s most historic achievement:
“Arsenal winning the league with Gyokeres up top would be up there with the Invincibles season.”
Others were even more damning:
“Gyokeres is one of the worst strikers I’ve ever seen play for Arsenal.”
“He offers absolutely nothing — no movement, no buildup, no presence in the box.”
A Costly Gamble Arsenal May Have Got Wrong
Arsenal reportedly chose Gyokeres — on around £200,000 per week — over Benjamin Šeško, who instead joined Manchester United. For a fanbase that waited years for a traditional number nine, that decision is now being heavily scrutinised.
Gyokeres still has time to turn things around, but patience at the Emirates is thinning rapidly. For a club chasing its first Premier League title in over two decades, sentimentality won’t matter.
If Arsenal are serious about finishing the job this season, Arteta may have to accept a harsh truth: this might not be the striker they were waiting for.
