Viktor Gyokeres
Arsenal’s decision to sign striker Viktor Gyokeres during the summer transfer window inevitably sparked plenty of excitement amongst the fanbase.
The Swedish international star scored almost a goal per game during a hugely successful two-year-spell with Sporting CP in Portugal.
After also proving his ability in the Champions League, the 27-year-old seemed to be the prolific striker the Gunners had been craving.
Gyokeres was inevitably touted as the man who would be the difference-maker for Arsenal in the title race. There was also talk of him challenging for the Golden Boot.
Seven games into the season and a tally of three goals in seven league games may appear to be underwhelming, but his overall performances have been impressive.
Admittedly, Gyokeres is lagging behind in the Golden Boot race, with Manchester City’s Erling Braut Haaland leading the way with nine goals.
Erling Haaland (Attribution: Jacek Stanislawek)
The Spreadex goals predictions for the season have put Haaland head and shoulders above the rest in the Premier League and their analysts have a superb track record at forecasting outcomes.
The Norwegian international has been tipped to hit a spread of 28.5 to 30.5 goals, which would be a phenomenal outcome for him.
Suggesting that Gyokeres could scupper Haaland’s hopes of winning the Golden Boot would be an exercise in futility, unless the latter suffered a long-term injury.
Even the staunchest Arsenal fan would not wish that fate on an opponent, no matter how frustrating it is to see him fill his boots every week.
However, it is not unreasonable to think that Gyokeres could record a 20-goal season in the Premier League if everything falls into place.
The fixture list has not been kind to the Gunners at the start of the season, handing them difficult trips to Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United.
They have also faced Man City at the Emirates Stadium, further adding to their testing workload during the early part of the 2025/26 campaign.
Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures potentially offer some respite, and also provide Gyokeres with the opportunity to start padding out his goals tally.
Fulham (A), Crystal Palace (H), Burnley (A) and Sunderland (A) are all matches which the Gunners will expect to pick up three points.
By the time Mikel Arteta’s side face Tottenham Hotspur on November 23, Gyokeres could be closing in on double figures in the Premier League despite his struggles on the international stage.
The Swedish star’s talented teammates will play a key role in his bid to rewrite the current narrative in the race to win the Golden Boot.
Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice have been tipped to register around 27 assists between them this season. Gyokeres is expected to convert a sizeable proportion of that tally.
Having faced several of the Premier League’s big hitters in his first seven games, Gyokeres will fancy his chances of making hay against some of the division’s lesser lights.
With that in mind, wagering on him to beat his current spread prediction of 15.5 to 17 goals could be a sensible play to make.
Haaland’s odds of 1/7 to finish as top scorer highlight that the outcome of the Golden Boot race is probably a foregone conclusion, providing he avoids any major mishaps.
However, Gyokeres’ record in the Primeira Liga and Champions League suggests he could finish closer to Haaland than the current projections have forecast.
Regardless of which way things fall, watching two of the finest strikers in the world strut their stuff in the Premier League is an enthralling proposition.