Arsenal: "Even Henry struggled" - Viktor Gyokeres heavily defended by ex-Gunners defender

By Brendan McGilligan | 08 Sep 2026 16:29

Arsenal have made a perfect start to the defence of their Premier League title, as they are one of only two sides that have secured three wins from as many games this campaign.

Mikel Arteta’s side had to grind out victories over Aston Villa and Chelsea, and fans will be pleased with the performances of the players.

Yet, it has been noticeable that Viktor Gyokeres, a player that the club spent a significant fee on last summer, has only been on the pitch for 12 minutes across the three matches.

There is a thought that Arteta’s hesitance to start the Swedish international in the difficult fixtures against Villa and Chelsea suggests that Gyokeres is not of the standard to lead the line for the Gunners.

Now, former Gunner Bacary Sagna has suggested that fans need not worry about this slow start for Gyokeres to the campaign, as he has made an encouraging comparison between the Swede and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.

Gyokeres was an important piece of Arteta’s squad that lifted the Premier League title as he featured in 36 of the 38 fixtures, scoring on 14 occasions.

While the Swede was not as prolific as attackers like Erling Haaland or Igor Thiago, something fans of the English top-flight have become accustomed to for sides that lift major silverware, Gyokeres had a decent output.

Sagna was quick to recognise this when questioned on the impact of the 28-year-old, using Henry’s struggles at Juventus as a comparison for Gyokeres first campaign.

Speaking exclusively to Sports Mole, thanks to Bet Victor, Sagna said: “Gyokeres, he's a heavy player. He can play different styles. And it was only his first season last season.

“People will criticise, oh, he didn't score 30 goals. But did you see many players in this world scoring 30 goals in their first season?

“No. And even Thierry Henry has been struggling in the past. When he reached Juventus, he was struggling. He came to the UK. And then, OK, when the training was on, yes, of course, it kept getting better and better and better.

“And Gyokeres has a past in English football, I want to say. Yeah. But coming to Arsenal is different.

“You need to adapt to everything. In Lisbon, he was a main player. Now he's surrounded by players at his level. But he's a top, he's a top striker.”

The Swedish international made a total of 55 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal last season, netting on 21 occasions, following much excitement from his transfer from Sporting CP, potentially worth £64m.

Fans will be interested to know that 14 of these came in the Premier League as the Gunners lifted the title, with another five being in the Champions League as they lost the final to PSG.

In comparison, after a £10.7m move from Monaco to Juventus in January 1999, fans of the Serie A club will have been disappointed by his output in that campaign.

The former France international made 19 appearances across all competitions in this half-season, netting on only three occasions.

Yet, it must be noted that he predominantly featured on the wing as well as at wing-back and wide midfield, but he was ineffective as a goal scorer, as he struggled against the defensive discipline exhibited by teams in Serie A.

In his first season with Arsenal, he made 48 appearances across all competitions and netted on 26 occasions, which is only five more goals than what Gyokeres achieved in his debut campaign with the Gunners.

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