Updated introduction: Viktor Gyokeres’ early-season situation at Arsenal
As of 17 September 2026, Viktor Gyokeres remains on the periphery of Mikel Arteta’s starting plans. The £63 million striker has featured for just 15 competitive minutes so far this season, a stark contrast to his role in Arsenal’s title-winning campaign.
Kai Havertz has taken the central striking role in his absence, starting twice and scoring in both matches. Arteta has publicly backed Gyokeres to stay at the club, but he has not confirmed when the Swede will return to the starting XI.
How Viktor Gyokeres helped Arsenal win the Premier League title
Arsenal paid £63 million to bring Gyokeres in, and he immediately took on the weight of Thierry Henry’s old No.14 shirt. It was a bold statement of intent from a player expected to lead the line for years to come.
He repaid that faith. Gyokeres scored 21 goals in 55 appearances last season and finished as Arsenal’s top scorer as the club won its first Premier League title in 22 years. His movement, physicality and finishing gave Arteta a focal point his side had lacked for a decade.
That record is why questions over his current lack of minutes have caught the attention of supporters. A player who delivered at that level is not usually left out without explanation.
Kai Havertz’s early-season form limits Gyokeres’ minutes
Havertz has been the direct beneficiary of Gyokeres’ slow start. He has started twice in the opening weeks of the season and scored in both games, giving Arteta a genuine reason to stick with the same forward line.
Havertz’s versatility has long made him useful across midfield and attack, but his early-season goals have added real weight to his claim on the central striking role. For now, that form is the clearest explanation for why Gyokeres has barely featured.
Will Gyokeres start for Arsenal?
Right now, no. Havertz has started twice and scored twice, while Gyokeres has played only 15 competitive minutes, and Arteta has not announced any change to that pattern for upcoming fixtures.
What is not known is how long that arrangement will last. Arteta has not set out a timeline for restoring Gyokeres to the starting line-up, and team selection for future matches has not been confirmed. Supporters searching for certainty on this point will not find it yet, because the manager has kept his selection plans private beyond match day.
What can be said with confidence is that this is a form-based selection call rather than anything more serious. There is nothing in Arteta’s public comments to suggest Gyokeres is unsettled, injured or in any dispute with the club.
What happens next for Gyokeres and Arteta
Arteta addressed Gyokeres’ situation directly earlier this month, ending any doubt over his long-term future at the club. Asked about the striker, he said: “He’s going to stay.”
That statement makes clear the club has no intention of moving Gyokeres on, whatever his current role. It leaves the immediate question as one of team selection rather than transfer speculation.
For now, Havertz’s form gives Arteta little reason to change a winning formula. But a squad of Arsenal’s depth and ambition will need every forward fit, sharp and ready to contribute across a long season, and Gyokeres’ title-winning pedigree means his chance is likely to come again.
Supporters can follow the background to this story in our original Read Arsenal report, published as the situation first emerged.
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