Gyokeres insists he is happy despite reduced Arsenal role

Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres says he is ‘extremely happy’ at Arsenal despite slipping down the pecking order and limited minutes this season. The 28‑year‑old has made only two Premier League appearances, both as a substitute, while Kai Havertz remains the preferred starter.

From Sporting to Arsenal: early promise

Gyokeres arrived from Sporting in the summer of 2025, instantly becoming Arsenal's first‑choice striker. He netted 21 goals across all competitions in his debut season, signalling a prolific start.

However, manager Mikel Arteta expressed reservations, leaving Gyokeres out of the starting XI for the Champions League final in May. The Swedish forward was on the bench, a sign that his contributions were not yet fully trusted.

This season his involvement has dwindled; he has featured in just two Premier League matches, both as a substitute, while Kai Havertz occupies the central forward role. He has yet to score for Arsenal, his last goal coming in an FA Cup defeat to Southampton in April.

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Reduced role and future plans

Rumours of a summer exit and speculation about a 2027 departure have swirled, yet Gyokeres insisted he wants to remain with the Premier League champions. ‘Of course, there was a lot of speculation,’ he said on Sweden duty during the current international break, adding that he had a full pre‑season and was fully focused on Arsenal.

During the same break he added two goals for Sweden, raising his international tally to 23, after finding the net against Poland following a win over Romania. He stressed, ‘It’s clear that I want to play football as much as possible. Hopefully that will come, too.’

Gyokeres acknowledged the need to improve his Arsenal performances, noting positive conversations with Arteta. ‘I obviously need to do better and I’m willing to do it, so it’s no problem,’ he said, adding that the dialogue with the coach is good and he aims to score whenever given the chance.

Sweden resume action on Friday against Bosnia & Herzegovina and on Monday versus Romania, while Arsenal return from the international break to face Leeds United at the Emirates on 10 October.