Gyokeres sends Arteta message after just 29 Premier League minutes

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Viktor Gyokeres has spoken publicly about his limited role at Arsenal this season, saying he expects to be playing "as much football as possible" after starting the campaign behind Kai Havertz in the pecking order.

The Sweden international, signed for £64million last summer, has been restricted to just 29 minutes of Premier League action off the bench this term, with Havertz starting all five of Arsenal's league fixtures. Gyokeres has been handed starts in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, but is still waiting on his first league start of the season.

It is a marked change from his debut campaign in England, when he scored 21 goals — even if he frequently found himself on the bench for the biggest occasions, including the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

"I want to play as much as possible"

Gyokeres ended the wait for his first goal of the season on Friday night, tapping home from close range in Sweden's Nations League win over Romania after Tottenham's Lucas Bergvall had seen an effort saved.

Speaking afterwards to fotbollskanalen, the 28-year-old said: "It felt good (to score) and I felt good physically. I felt involved, so it was fun to be out there playing."

"I haven't played a lot, but I've had a few games. It's felt okay then, but it's clear that I want to play football and as much as possible. Hopefully that will come, too. You always want to be on the field as a football player."

He added: "Of course you expect more playing time, but we have an extremely good squad with a lot of good players and have been doing well here at the start. I'm just trying to focus on what I can control and do my best to play more."

Dialogue with Arteta described as "good"

The striker also accepted responsibility for his own situation, insisting the lines of communication with Mikel Arteta remain open.

"I obviously need to do better and I'm willing to do it, so it's no problem," Gyokeres said. "It's good (the dialogue with the coach). I just try to do well when I get the chance and score goals."

The comments come after a summer in which Gyokeres was linked with a move away from north London, having reportedly been offered to Atletico Madrid as part of Arsenal's pursuit of Julian Alvarez. He remained at the Emirates, but has so far found the route into Arteta's strongest XI blocked by Havertz, whose consistency in the league has kept the Swede waiting.

That picture could shift when club football resumes. Havertz picked up an injury while on international duty with Germany, potentially opening the door for Gyokeres to lead the line from the start.

Arsenal return to action on 10 October against Leeds United, and the international break has at least given Gyokeres minutes, a goal and a platform to state his case. The next few weeks will determine whether that translates into a run in the Premier League side.