Viktor Gyokeres can solve three major problems to help take Arsenal to the Premier League title

Arsenal fans have almost burst with elation following the news that the club have all but agreed the deal to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP. The striker is for many the missing piece to Mikel Arteta’s project which is finally being filled.

The pressure on the team next season is at an all-time high, but the club has invested big this summer to help the squad better cope with the trials that await them. Andrea Berta’s push to sign Gyokeres has come true, and he is expected to be the new spearhead of an attack that could yet get more reinforcements.

With that in mind, football.london look at the three major problems that Gyokeres is coming into solve. From goalscoring to system specifics, the solutions go beyond the obvious with this particular player.

Finally, a striker

This is, of course, the most obvious one of all, as Gyokeres is finally solving the problem of Arsenal’s number nine role. For much of last season Arteta was forced to use Mikel Merino as an alternative to the injured Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

The latter remains out until the end of the year while Havertz has bulked up and looks in excellent shape to try and compete with Gyokeres for the spot. There is such depth there now but the summer signing will be expected to elevate the volume of goals from the role.

Match-winning moments

One thing that Gyokeres does possess is an other-worldly shot from range, which can see the Swede find the back of the net from ridiculous ranges. Arsenal have lacked match winners who can produce a goal from nothing, and in Gyokeres, they have a striker who can not only finish smartly but also produce some spectacular goals.

Only Bukayo Saka before him could truly put his name to this, with some rare moments from others. It will also be good to see how Martin Odegaard combines with his new partner, finally getting that number nine ahead of him.

Penalty pressure

One of the biggest discussion points around Gyokeres is the volume of penalties his goal tallies are made up with. While they all count, much of the comparisons have taken out these spot kicks to get a better understanding of the player’s potential.

But Gyokeres wins many of the penalties he scores and Arsenal will hope to benefit from that. Furthermore, Saka has missed a few in his time for club and country and perhaps it is time for their new striker to take on the burden.

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