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Viktor Gyokeres was underwhelming in Arsenal win over Napoli

By on September 10, 2026

viktor gyokeres arsenal

Viktor Gyokeres produced an underwhelming display despite Arsenal’s dominant performance in the 1-0 win over Napoli. 

After previous cameo appearances, the Sweden international was handed his first start of the season on Wednesday night in Naples.

Mikel Arteta has repeatedly shown through his team selections that Kai Havertz remains his preferred option through the middle, with the German’s displays doing little to challenge that decision. Gyokeres has therefore found himself further down the pecking order, making the opportunity in Naples an important one for the Swede to make his case.

There were certainly some positives in his display, despite the lack of a major attacking impact. Gyokeres worked hard, found some useful positions and managed to create four chances during his time on the pitch.

Despite that, what stands out is the fact that he failed to attempt a single shot despite Arsenal producing 26 efforts on goal. For a centre-forward leading the line in a side that registered that many attempts, that is difficult to make sense of.

Arsenal found the breakthrough almost immediately after Gyokeres was taken off against Napoli, while the Swedish striker had barely made an impact despite the Premier League champions enjoying most of the possession and creating a huge number of opportunities.

Gyokeres was underwhelming

Across his 73 minutes on the pitch, Gyokeres managed just nine touches, with only three coming inside the opposition box. He failed to register a shot or attempt a dribble, yet still created four chances from the limited involvement he had.

Italian outlet Il Messaggero was particularly damning in its assessment, describing the Swede as ‘never dangerous’.

In addition, BBC’s Match of the Day pundit and former Manchester City centre-back Nedum Onuoha also voiced his concerns over the 28-year-old’s displays.

‘I don’t think at the moment Gyokeres is really elevating Arsenal to that next stage because there are certain parts of his game that, in terms of general play, it feels different to some of the other players in there,’ Onuoha said.

He added, ‘I think some of the praise that Arsenal have received in recent weeks has been because of their fluidity in terms of how they have attacked and the way Gyokeres has been playing; that’s not where he is at right now.’

Martin Odegaard, meanwhile, played a major role in Arsenal’s victory at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. The captain’s progress since the campaign began has been striking, and Gyokeres will need to produce a similar improvement if he is to reclaim his starting berth this season.