Viktor Gyokeres is reportedly set to be Arsenal’s first-choice penalty taker this season, with Mikel Arteta admitting the striker is their best option from the spot.
Daniel Kristoffersson reported for Swedish outlet Sportbladet this week that ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, Arsenal had selected Viktor Gyokeres as their primary penalty taker for this season.
Kristoffersson has been a reliable source for updates on his fellow Swede in recent times, but for anyone still dubious, Mikel Arteta himself gave another hint in an interview this week.
Speaking to ESPN Brasil, Arteta was asked to pick his best player in a variety of categories – fastest player, best tactically, hardest worker, and so on.
When it came to the ‘best penalty taker’, Arteta answered simply: “Gyokeres.”
Gyokeres certainly has a track record from the spot. In 2024/25 alone, the striker scored 20 penalties for club and country, missing none.
Over his entire senior career (excluding shootouts), Gyokeres’ record is 31 scored and just three missed, putting him at a conversion rate of 91%. That’s well above the average of around 79%.
Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka were previously Arsenal’s two primary penalty takers, but neither of them can match those numbers.
Gyokeres is set for a run in the team in Kai Havertz’s absence, with the exact timeframe for the German’s injury comeback still undetermined at this stage.
Perhaps that’s what Gyokeres needs to get settled in north London, and Arteta told the media on Friday that the striker is ready to go again after his debut.
“He’s very, very enthusiastic,” Arteta said. “He trained really well this week, again. He’s had another week under his belt, he looks in a really good place.”
With any luck, the 27-year-old will have a chance to convert from the spot sooner rather than later.
