After three consecutive runner-up finishes, Arsenal look ready to finally put a stop to their 20-year title drought in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s men have enjoyed a promising start to the new season, entering the international break as early pacesetters.
Five wins from the opening seven matches put the Gunners at the top of the tree, with reigning holders Liverpool trailing in second.
Despite lagging three points behind, Manchester City headed into the two-week hiatus as the most prolific team in the Premier League, netting 15 goals.
However, that’s only one more than Arsenal’s 14-goal tally.
Scoring was often a problem for Arteta’s side last season in the absence of a top-class striker.
Aware of this glaring shortcoming, Arsenal splashed out an eye-watering €55 million to sign Viktor Gyokeres.
The former Sporting CP centre-forward is part of several high-profile summer additions, featuring the likes of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, among others.
Arsenal needed prolific marksman
Interestingly, the last Arsenal player to win the Premier League Golden Boot was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, achieving this feat in the 2018/19 season.
Given Gyokeres’ outstanding scoring exploits at Sporting and his hefty price tag, there’s a lot of expectation on him.
According to Spreadex Sports’ researchthe 27-year-old is expected to be the Gunners’ top goalscorer in the Premier League this season.
Yet, the towering Swede has failed to hit the ground running on his return to English football.
Gyokeres has only scored three goals in his first seven league appearances for the club and, as a result, has significant ground to make up in the Golden Boot race.
For comparison, Man City talisman Erling Braut Haaland already boasts nine goals from as many Premier League outings this season.
Though it’s still an early season, it’s hard to see Gyokeres beating the Norwegian superstar to the punch in his maiden campaign at the Emirates Stadium.
However, Gyokeres should be Arsenal’s leading attacking threat, with Spreadex expecting him to hit a 15-goal mark at the bare minimum.
Whether that would be enough to inspire the Gunners to long-awaited Premier League success remains to be seen.
Support role
With Gyokeres expected to be the team’s top scorer, long-serving stalwart Bukayo Saka may have to settle for a more supportive role.
The quicksilver forward has been Arsenal’s driving force since Arteta’s appointment, establishing himself as one of the deadliest wingers in Europe, let alone the Premier League.
Unfortunately, recurring injury setbacks curtailed Saka’s momentum last season, restricting him to only 25 league matches.
With that in mind, it’s barely surprising that the Englishman racked up a mere six league goals in 2024/25.
Fortunately for Arsenal, Saka has regained full fitness, putting together three consecutive Premier League appearances before the break.
Saka converted a penalty in a 2-0 home win over West Ham United last time out, bagging only his second goal of the season.
Yet, if he can avoid further injuries, he could be among the key contributors this term, with Spreadex backing him to smash a 12-goal barrier.
Other contributors
Arsenal spent considerable time and effort securing Eze from Crystal Palace over the summer.
The 27-year-old has never been an elite goalscorer, though he has a knack for creating chances and unlocking defenses with his tricky feet and movement.
Yet to score in the Gunners shirt, Eze has picked up two assists in his first six league games for the club.
Despite his underwhelming figures, Spreadex expects him to find the net at least five times this season.
Meanwhile, Declan Rice is the favourite to finish the season as Arsenal’s top assist provider, with projections suggesting he could tally around eight assists.
