Arsenal 3-0 Sunderland: Surprising Viktor Gyokeres statistic will force striker's critics into a rethink

Viktor Gyokeres scored twice as Arsenal recorded a 3-0 victory over Sunderland in Saturday afternoon's Premier League contest at the Emirates Stadium.

Martin Zubimendi made the breakthrough late in the first period before Gyokeres struck twice in the second half, and the result has moved Mikel Arteta's side nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

Man City will have the chance to close the gap to six points when they face Liverpool on Sunday, but the Gunners have a significant advantage at this stage.

Gyokeres has faced a lot of criticism this season, but no Premier League player since the turn of the year has netted more goals across all competitions than the Swede (six).

The former Sporting Lisbon striker fired the ball into the back of the net from inside the penalty box after smart work from Kai Havertz in a wide area for his first, before adding a second in the latter stages off an assist from Gabriel Martinelli.

5 - Since the turn of the year, no Premier League player has scored more goals across all competitions than Viktor Gyökeres (5). Upturn. pic.twitter.com/uCFYWGT8sw
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 7, 2026

Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland: Gyokeres makes telling contribution in win over the Black Cats

Gyokeres has now netted three times in the Premier League in 2026, while he has managed one goal in the EFL Cup and two in the Champions League since the turn of the year.

The 27-year-old is now on 13 goals and two assists in 32 appearances for Arsenal, not quite the numbers that many expected at this stage of the season, but the much-criticised striker is making a difference heading into a very important period.

Gyokeres' goals against Sunderland were his seventh and eighth in the Premier League this term.

Arsenal's attention remains on the Premier League, preparing to head to Brentford on Thursday night, before hosting Wigan Athletic in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Gunners are also searching for success in the Champions League this season, while they will take on Manchester City in the EFL Cup final at the end of March.

Is Gyokeres good enough to be Arsenal's main striker?

It would be fair to say that Gyokeres has underwhelmed for long stages of the season, and it is doubtful whether the striker is the player to lead the team to success in the biggest of competitions.

However, the forward has shown of late that he can be an important player for the Gunners.

What that looks like moving forward remains to be seen; Arsenal could sign another starting striker this summer, with Gyokeres potentially being the back-up in 2026-27.

Neither Gabriel Jesus nor Gyokeres have proven themselves to be good enough to lead the line on a regular basis, but the latter is certainly a player in form.