Gyokeres brace fires Arsenal six points clear as striker reaches 20-goal milestone

The talk before the season was that Arsenal needed a 20-goal-a-season striker to win a trophy - and now they finally have one in Viktor Gyokeres. The Sweden international has 21 goals in all competitions this season after his brace in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Fulham took them six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The Gunners signed Gyokeres in a deal worth about £64m last summer after he scored 97 goals in 102 games for Portuguese side Sporting. And with that fee, plus Gyokeres being billed as a 'win now' signing, expectation on the 27-year-old was at an all-time high.

The former Coventry man has had plenty of critics this campaign but - after scoring a penalty in midweek against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final and now his two goals in an important match in the title race - Gyokeres' goals have moved Arsenal one step closer to silverware.

Even though Gyokeres has been criticised for not offering enough in general play to this Arsenal side this season, none of that will be remembered if his goals fire them to the Premier League title.

When Gyokeres opened the scoring in the ninth minute at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, it brought up his 20th goal of the season and made him the first Arsenal player to score 20 or more goals across all competitions in their first season at the club since Alexis Sanchez in 2014-15 (25 goals).

It has been a pivotal week for Gyokeres with his performance in the Champions League setting Arsenal up nicely for the second leg against Atletico on Tuesday.

Saturday was also the first time that he has scored a goal and provided an assist in the first half of a league match since joining Arsenal.

"He had a great performance," manager Mikel Arteta said when asked about Gyokeres' impact this week. "I think in Madrid, especially the first half, he was really good, and today, all the minutes that he's played as well, his contribution with the goals... "Every attacking action he was involved - scored two great goals. Position-wise, timing-wise as well - it's something that we've been working on. "It's going to give him a big boost of energy to him and confidence to the team as well."

Bukayo Saka was back to his best after making his first start since March after an Achilles problem, and, alongside his goal to double Arsenal's lead, he assisted Gyokeres' opener, the first time the winger has assisted Gyokeres in the Premier League.

Arteta acknowledged that the pair "haven't played together much" because of injuries, but there were signs the pair could be clicking at the perfect time.

"I have liked Gyokeres all season," former England striker Wayne Rooney told BBC Match of the Day. "I think he does so well for the team. He occupies defenders and I think his goal tally has been good this season. This is when you need him now, during the run-in. "This is what you need when you bring a number nine into the club. This is when you need them most."

It was also the first time Gyokeres has been involved in three goals in a match for Arsenal.

"The best I have seen him play. He reminded me of a [Erling] Haaland," former Arsenal player Paul Merson said on Sky Sports. "I thought the players trusted him a lot more. "I have given him a lot of stick. If they win the league, he has been a brilliant buy. If they don't, maybe he hasn't. "He was put in the team to make sure they beat the lesser teams, and he has done. You want your striker to get 20 goals and he has done that. "He was really good today and that is what they bought him for. Those performances haven't been there week in and week out, but if they are for the next four weeks - then money back."

Gyokeres has five goals in his past eight matches, but it has not always been easy for the striker. He has been criticised for his all-round play, with questions about whether his ability holding the ball up and linking play is good enough for an Arsenal team.

Before Saturday his goals in the Premier League had earned only two points for Arsenal in their title challenge, but, after one of his season-best performances and goals against Fulham, that is now at five.

Gyokeres was signed for his ability to find the net but also in how he opens up the space for his attackers around him, with one of his main attributes being his powerful running when going behind the opposition defence.

The fewest goals from a Premier League-winning team's leading scorer is Frank Lampard with 13 when Chelsea lifted the trophy in the 2004-05 campaign, and that was matched by Ilkay Gundogan in Manchester City's 2020-21 title-winning season.

At one point it did not look like Gyokeres would reach that tally, but he is now at 14 goals in the league, which is another positive sign for the Gunners when they look to end their 22-year wait for a league title.

Kai Havertz has struggled to remain fit this season, which has placed a burden on Gyokeres to lead the line in the majority of the Gunners' games this season.

Havertz is one of Arteta's favourite players and would likely have started some of the games against the division's top sides, with Gyokeres used from the bench - like the pair were utilised in the defeat by Manchester City last month.

But in a season when a number of Arsenal's attackers have been unavailable because of injury, Gyokeres' robustness must be praised. Arsenal have lost only three games with him in the starting XI and, with three league games to go, the forward's effort and goals could be rewarded with the Premier League trophy.