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Viktor Gyokeres replicates his familiar celebration during his Arsenal debut on 26/7. Photo: Arsenal FC |
Viktor Gyokeres replicates his familiar celebration during his Arsenal debut on 26/7. Photo: Arsenal FC
Gyokeres' goal-scoring record is the biggest reason for Arsenal fans' excitement over his transfer. Last season, the Swedish striker scored 54 goals in 52 matches across all competitions, including 39 in the Portuguese Primeira Liga – the best record in any European league.
However, the Portuguese league only has a coefficient of 1.5, while La Liga and the Premier League have a coefficient of 2. Therefore, Gyokeres finished second in the race for the European Golden Shoe, behind Kylian Mbappe, the Real Madrid forward who scored 31 goals in La Liga.
In the Premier League, the top scorers last season were Mohamed Salah (29), Alexander Isak (23), Erling Haaland (22), Bryan Mbeumo, and Chris Wood (20).
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The locations of the 253 shots Gyokeres took in the last two seasons in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. His expected goals (xG) was 53.6, and he scored 68 goals. Photo: Opta |
The locations of the 253 shots Gyokeres took in the last two seasons in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. His expected goals (xG) was 53.6, and he scored 68 goals. Photo: Opta
In the 2024-2025 Portuguese Primeira Liga season, Gyokeres scored 39 goals, including 27 non-penalty goals, achieving an xG of 30.9, a shot conversion rate of 28.1%, and a shot accuracy rate of 72.1%. If Gyokeres were to replicate this performance in the Premier League, he would lead in all five statistics.
Over the past two seasons, Gyokeres scored 68 goals in the Portuguese Primeira Liga – leading all of Europe among the top 10 leagues. He also had 17 assists, bringing his total goal contributions to 85, also topping the European charts. This shows that he is not just a goal scorer but also a creator of opportunities for his teammates.
Arsenal's new signing generated a total xG of 53.6 and had a goal conversion rate of 26.9% – again leading among strikers in the 10 biggest leagues. The Swede scored a goal every 84.1 minutes – third best in Europe in terms of scoring frequency.
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Gyokeres' assists during the last two seasons in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. Photo: Opta |
Gyokeres' assists during the last two seasons in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. Photo: Opta
Such comparisons are only for reference. According to Opta, the Portuguese Primeira Liga is only ranked 8th in Europe, behind the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, the Belgian Jupiler Pro League, and even the English Championship – where Gyokeres scored 43 goals in 92 matches for Coventry.
The case of Darwin Nunez is a prime example. The Uruguayan striker scored 26 goals in 28 matches in the Primeira Liga for Benfica during the 2021-2022 season. However, since moving to Liverpool for a total fee of 107 million USD, he has only scored 25 goals in 95 matches – a significant drop, highlighting the intensity of English football.
However, Gyokeres might be a different case. With 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting across all competitions, he arrives at Arsenal as one of the most in-form strikers in Europe over the past two seasons. These are numbers on par with Erling Haaland, and they're enough to generate excitement ahead of the 2025-2026 Premier League season.
It's likely Gyokeres will still need time to adapt and prove himself in a much more demanding environment. But if he can maintain his effectiveness from Sporting, he will be a real challenger to Haaland in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot and the perfect final piece for Arsenal.
Hong Duy (according to Premier League)
