For a player whose debut season at Arsenal has often been defined by frustration rather than fulfilment, Viktor Gyokeres’ brace against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday felt like a moment of long-awaited release.
In a rousing 4–1 North London derby win that steadied Arsenal’s nerve at the top of the Premier League table, Gyokeres delivered the sort of decisive, headline-grabbing performance the club imagined when they signed him.
The question now is whether that afternoon in N17 becomes a footnote or a turning point. For Arsenal’s title hopes, and for Gyokeres’ own narrative in English football, it has to be the latter.
When Arsenal moved aggressively in the summer to prise Gyokeres away from Sporting CP, the logic was clear. Here was a striker entering his prime, physically imposing, relentlessly mobile and armed with a devastating scoring record.
Ninety-seven goals in just over a hundred games in Portugal had turned him into one of Europe’s most coveted forwards, and Arsenal were convinced they were buying a ready-made difference-maker rather than a long-term project.
Yet the Premier League has a habit of humbling even the most prolific imports. Gyokeres’ first months in England have reflected that harsh reality.
Gyokeres has returned 12 goals in all competitions, 10 of them in the league. On paper, those numbers are respectable. In isolation, they hardly scream failure. But context matters.
Too many of those goals have arrived when Arsenal were already on top, or against opponents expected to concede territory and chances.
In the matches that define title races – away trips to direct rivals, tense encounters decided by fine margins – Gyokeres has often been peripheral. His movement has been willing but sometimes predictable, his link-up play functional rather than transformative.
For a forward signed to elevate Arsenal from contenders to champions, that has felt like a problem.
The derby against Tottenham, then, landed heavy with symbolism. This was not a comfortable home game against lower-table opposition, but a febrile, emotionally charged fixture where reputations are forged and remembered.
Arsenal had wobble potential written all over them after recent dropped points, while Spurs smelled an opportunity to disrupt their rivals’ momentum.
What followed instead was Gyokeres’ most authoritative performance in red and white.
What a strike from Viktor Gyökeres?! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/ZwjrAbySxE
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 22, 2026
His first goal told its own story. Rather than lurking on the shoulder of the last defender, Gyokeres dropped to the edge of the box to receive the ball to feet before smashing home an unstoppable effort.
His second, bagged in stoppage time, was the act of a striker brimming with confidence, one who sensed vulnerability and exploited it without hesitation, holding off a defender before confidently finishing from close range.
Arsenal needed someone to slam the door shut; Gyokeres did exactly that.
"That was the best performance I've ever seen from him"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 22, 2026
Theo Walcott was impressed with Viktor Gyökeres' performance against Spurs 👏 pic.twitter.com/F4uVHmhcSm
Beyond the goals, the performance hinted at a more complete striker emerging. His touch count was significantly higher than his season average, his involvement in build-up noticeably greater.
For perhaps the first time, Arsenal’s attacking rhythm felt shaped around him rather than merely passing through him.
That matters because Arsenal under Mikel Arteta are at their best when the centre-forward amplifies the strengths of those around him, rather than existing as a detached finisher waiting for service.
Still, scepticism lingers, and not without reason.
Tottenham’s defensive frailties this season are well documented and critics were quick to point out that Gyokeres has yet to replicate this level of impact against the Premier League’s very best back lines.
A title run-in, after all, is not defined by one glorious afternoon but by repeated moments of clarity and conviction. Arsenal will not lift the trophy on the back of a single derby win, and Gyokeres will not silence doubts unless this becomes a habit rather than an exception.
That is why the timing of this brace matters almost as much as the performance itself. Arsenal are entering the decisive stretch of the season with a narrow margin for error.
Manchester City are lurking, relentless as ever, and any stumble could prove fatal.
In that environment, goals are currency and authority is priceless. Arsenal do not just need Gyokeres to score; they need him to scare opponents, to occupy defenders mentally before a ball is even kicked. They need him to be the striker other managers plan their week around.
There are reasons for optimism.
Gyokeres’ physical profile suggests he should thrive as pitches soften and games become attritional. His pressing numbers remain strong, aligning neatly with Arteta’s demands, and his willingness to do the unglamorous work has never been in doubt.
What has been missing is that sense of inevitability – the feeling that when Arsenal need something decisive, Gyokeres will be the one to provide it. The Spurs game hinted that this switch might finally be flicking.
It is also worth remembering that adaptation is rarely linear. The Premier League’s intensity can suffocate confidence, particularly for strikers who live and die by moments.
A single big performance can change perception internally as much as externally. If Gyokeres now feels truly trusted, truly central to Arsenal’s attacking plan, that psychological shift could prove just as valuable as any tactical tweak.
Arsenal did not sign Gyokeres to be a useful contributor. They signed him to be decisive.
With the season reaching its sharpest edge, the North London derby offered a glimpse of what that decisiveness might look like when fully unleashed.
If Gyokeres can build on it – if he can turn one cathartic afternoon into a defining run of performances – then his debut season will be reframed entirely.
Not as a slow burn or a near miss, but as the year Arsenal’s big gamble finally paid off when it mattered most.
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