Arsenal striker breaks UEFA record as Havertz injury opens door

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Viktor Gyokeres has become the first player in history to score in six successive Nations League appearances, and the timing could hardly be more relevant for Arsenal.

The Sweden forward broke the deadlock on the hour mark in Monday's build-up fixture against Bosnia, only for Kerim Alajbegovic to level and leave the Group B4 encounter finishing 1-1. The goal was enough to write Gyokeres into the record books, extending a run that stretches back to his four-goal haul against Azerbaijan in November 2024, plus strikes against Estonia and Slovakia.

It also means he has scored in both of Sweden's matches during this international break, having already found the net in wins over Romania and Poland.

Merino adds his name to the conversation

Gyokeres was not the only Arsenal player making a statement away from north London. Mikel Merino came off the bench for Spain and scored their third in a 3-1 win over Czechia, pouncing on the rebound after Victor Munoz had forced Antonin Kinsky into a save.

The match turned spiky late on, with Stepan Chaloupek wiping out Roberto Fernandez with a dangerous challenge that saw play allowed to continue. Merino's goal, though, was the headline — and another reminder of the forward instincts Mikel Arteta has already leaned on in emergencies.

Both Gyokeres and Merino have spent parts of this season waiting for sustained opportunities, with Kai Havertz installed as Arteta's preferred option to lead the line in the opening months of the campaign.

Havertz setback changes the picture

That hierarchy may be about to shift. Havertz went down with an injury during Germany's Nations League draw with the Netherlands, a setback that leaves his availability for Arsenal's return to Premier League action in question.

Football London report that if the 27-year-old is not fit to face Leeds United, the door opens for Gyokeres or Merino to start through the middle.

The context matters. Arsenal slipped off the top of the Premier League after defeat to Brighton in the last round of fixtures before the break, meaning the restart carries added weight for Arteta's side.

Having a striker in the form Gyokeres is currently in — scoring in four consecutive international outings and rewriting a UEFA record along the way — is the kind of insurance policy every manager wants when a first-choice forward picks up a knock.

Gyokeres will have the chance to stretch his streak to seven when Sweden travel to Bucharest to face Romania on Monday evening. Arsenal supporters will be watching that one closely, with Arteta's selection call for the Leeds fixture shaping up as the first big decision of the post-break schedule.