Viktor Gyökeres under scrutiny following another underwhelming display for Arsenal

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres faced sharp criticism from French media following an ineffective performance during the Gunners’ 3–0 victory over LOSC Lille in the UEFA Champions League, as reported by The Times.​

Despite coming off a prolific international break where he scored in four consecutive UEFA Nations League matches for Sweden, the 28-year-old forward failed to make an impact upon returning to club duty. Starting ahead of Kai Havertz, Gyökeres was substituted in the 65th minute after managing just 12 touches and failing to record a single shot on target throughout his time on the pitch.​

French newspaper L’Équipe issued a damning 2/10 performance rating for the Swedish international, highlighting his inability to affect the match and physical struggles against Lille’s defensive line. Foot Mercato similarly offered a low 4/10 evaluation, noting that the forward appeared far from convincing in possession and was routinely outmuscled in individual duels.

​Arsenal subsequently took total control of the match shortly after Gyökeres was withdrawn, scoring three unanswered second-half goals through Jurriën Timber, Eberechi Eze, and Bukayo Saka to secure three points in European competition.​ The performance raises questions over manager Mikel Arteta’s forward line selection as Arsenal balance their domestic campaign with European fixtures.