Arsenal - Brentford: Will Merino or Gyokeres start as the striker?

The draw against Chelsea last weekend marked Viktor Gyokeres’s return, although he only came on as a substitute for just over 20 minutes. Will Mikel Arteta allow Gyokeres to play again when Mikel Merino has been performing quite well in the false No. 9 role?

Gyokeres last scored a goal a month ago during the 2-0 victory over Burnley. However, in that match, the Swedish striker only played the first half and was replaced by Mikel Merino after halftime due to injury.

How has Arsenal performed in the last three matches without Gyokeres? They scored 9 goals, drawing 2-2 with Sunderland before defeating Tottenham 4-1 and Bayern Munich 3-1. Without Gyokeres, Merino became the top forward option for Arsenal and was the player who saved Arsenal in the London derby against Chelsea with a valuable equalizing goal. Arteta’s team has continued to demonstrate strong scoring ability with Leandro Trossard, Merino, and other attacking players taking turns to score.

However, it is clear that lacking a true striker like Gyokeres has reduced the quality of Arsenal’s attacking plays. Imagine if Arteta’s team had been able to use the Swedish forward from the start against Chelsea; they would have found it less challenging in a match where they had a numerical advantage but struggled to break through Chelsea’s solid defensive wall. Arsenal’s goal only came from an aerial situation, rather than a well-coordinated move as expected. When Gyokeres entered the game, he had a valuable chance to help Arsenal secure all three points at Stamford Bridge but unfortunately missed.