Premier League title race: Is signing Viktor Gyokeres enough for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal to catch Arne Slot's Liverpool?

Now that Arsenal have announced the signing of striker Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon, fans will be hoping that the Gunners will be able to go that one step further and win the Premier League title after three consecutive second-placed finishes.

The Swedish hitman made the switch to North London for a fee that could reach £66m if all add-ons are met, and manager Mikel Arteta cited his 'incredible goalscoring numbers', 'high conversion rate' and 'clinical edge' as reasons for pursuing the striker's signature.

Supporters and commentators have often suggested that the Emirates club were lacking a specialist centre-forward with a goals-first mindset, and considering that the head-coach has regularly fielded the versatile Kai Havertz up top - with Mikel Merino deputising in his absence last season - they are right.

Now that they have filled the gap in their squad, the expectation is that the Gunners can end their five-year trophy drought and secure top spot in the league after coming frustratingly close in recent campaigns.

However, while the former Brighton & Hove Albion and Coventry man had an undoubtedly impressive season in Portugal, it remains to be seen whether he alone can close the gap to current champions Liverpool.

Here, Sports Mole considers Gyokeres' potential impact on Arsenal in the 2025-26 title race.

Arteta's Arsenal have signed a pure goalscoring machine

Gyokeres joined then-manager Ruben Amorim at Sporting after scoring 40 goals across 91 appearances during two strong seasons with Championship club Coventry.

In Portugal, the Swede was named the best player in the country in 2023-24, before hitting the back of the net a staggering 63 times from 57 appearances in all competitions in 2024-25.

Taking his Primeira Liga numbers alone, Arsenal's new star scored 39 goals and laid on seven assists for his teammates from 33 appearances, meaning he produced a goal contribution every 60.9 minutes in the top flight.

Those raw numbers make for frightening reading for rivals, but given that the Premier League is a step up for Gyokeres, who is yet to prove himself in the top five leagues, Gunners supporters would be forgiven for harbouring doubts.

That being said, the £66m man was able to reproduce those statistics in the Champions League - where he scored six times and registered one assist in 606 minutes - and his performances in Europe should dispel any lingering concerns.

Will Arsenal provide the right environment for Gyokeres to thrive in the Premier League?

Arsenal netted 69 times in the top flight last season, the third highest tally in the division behind Manchester City and Liverpool, and signing one of the most prolific strikers on the market will certainly bolster the Gunners' offensive output.

However, Arteta's side generated 73 expected goals in 2024-25, almost 20 fewer than the champions, and if they are to truly make the leap from challenging to winning the title, then they will need to increase their creative numbers to match.

Gyokeres is at his best when using his pace and power to get on the end of incisive passing through the lines, but the Emirates club struggled at times last season to create open-play chances.

Former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka was often one of the highest-ranking midfielders in the league for progressive passes and passes into the final third, and since his departure to Bayer Leverkusen, the Gunners have been disjointed in buildup.

This can be most clearly seen in the fact that the output of the club's left-wingers has dramatically declined, with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli failing to hit double digits in the Premier League after 2022-23.

That being said, Arteta may have replaced Xhaka's passing volume this summer with the signing of Martin Zubimendi, who was wanted by Liverpool for his ability to dictate play from the base of midfield, and the former Real Sociedad star could be a quiet difference maker.

What can Arteta and Arsenal do to strengthen further ahead of the 2025-26 title race?

After five consecutive trophyless seasons, Arteta is under pressure to deliver silverware, and following an outlay of approximately £1bn during his tenure, he will be hoping that his new striker can alleviate some of the scrutiny.

The last player to score 20 league goals in a season for Arsenal was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2019-20, and Gyokeres's presence in the box and undeniable threat in front of goal makes him a major asset in the club's armoury.

The Swedish striker helps to round out the squad given that he is the Gunners' only specialist number nine, and their first since Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette left the club.

The Londoners have been busy in the transfer market, addressing a number of gaps by signing Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga for a combined total of £210m - the most spent under Arteta in one window.

However, links to Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze persist, and the versatile England international, who would cost another £67.5m, could bolster the left flank.

Eze scored eight goals and provided eight assists for his teammates in the 2024-25 Premier League, and if Arsenal can bring him to the Emirates, then his well-rounded skillset could be a useful asset in their title challenge.