Viktor Gyökeres gives verdict on his Arsenal start

Viktor Gyökeres has opened up about his start to life at Arsenal, and acknowledges it hasn’t been perfect.

Viktor Gyökeres has delivered an honest assessment of his opening performances for Arsenal, believing his start to life in north London has been characterised by inconsistency. The £55 million summer signing from Sporting CP has experienced the highs and lows of English football since arriving at the Emirates Stadium in July.

“It’s been different games,” Gyökeres reflected on his Premier League debut season to Sky Sports. “Some games have been tougher – where I couldn’t perform how I wanted. That’s maybe depending on how the game looked. But I had games where I felt very good.”

The 27-year-old Swedish international has managed to find the net three times in his opening four Premier League appearances. This puts him joint-second, only behind Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, in the Premier League’s top goalscorer charts.

Gyökeres’ adaptation to English football comes after a remarkable spell in Portugal where he netted 97 goals in 102 appearances across two seasons. His prolific form at Sporting CP, including 54 goals in 52 appearances last season, earned him the Primeira Liga’s top scorer award and Player of the Year honours in consecutive campaigns.

Despite acknowledging areas for improvement, the striker expressed contentment with his early impact. “So it’s been up and down but overall, I’ve managed to score a few goals and we won most of the games. So it’s been quite a good start, but it could be better.”

Arsenal’s summer transfer activity saw sporting director Andrea Berta prioritise the acquisition of a clinical striker, with Gyökeres emerging as their primary target over Benjamin Šeško, who later moved to Manchester United.

The Swedish forward has already demonstrated his finishing ability in Arsenal colours, scoring twice in the comprehensive 5-0 victory over newly-promoted Leeds United, before scoring last weekend in a comprehensive victory over Nottingham Forest,

Compared to other strikers who made moves in the Premier League this summer, he is level with Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike, despite playing one less game. The Swede has also converted more than the likes of Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Šeško, and João Pedro.

Looking ahead, Gyökeres will have the opportunity to further establish himself when Arsenal face Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The high-profile encounter against Pep Guardiola’s side represents exactly the type of challenging fixture where the striker will be eager to demonstrate his Premier League credentials.