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How Arsenal-Bound Viktor Gyokeres’ Stats Stack Up Against the Premier League’s Elite

Sushan Chakraborty Written by Sports EditorSushan Chakraborty
Updated –
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How Arsenal-Bound Viktor Gyokeres’ Stats Stack Up Against the Premier League’s Elite

After weeks of negotiations, Arsenal have reached an agreement with Sporting CP over the transfer of Viktor Gyokeres. 

According to reports, the Gunners will pay the Portuguese side £63.7million for the Swedish striker.

The switch greatly bolsters the Gunners’ squad, as they have been longing for a prolific goalscorer for years.

The 27-year-old joins Arsenal with a big price tag and an even bigger reputation. But does Gyokeres have the stats to beat the best in the Premier League? SportsCasting pits the newcomer against Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak, Joao Pedro, and Hugo Ekitike to get the answer.

Viktor Gyokeres Stats Compared to Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak, Joao Pedro, and Hugo Ekitike

Viktor Gyokeres scored a whopping 39 goals in 33 Primeira Liga matches for Sporting CP last season. He was the outright top scorer across the top 10 European leagues, but lost the Golden Boot to Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe, who is set to break records at Madrid this season with a new shirt number, scored 31 goals. However, he benefited from a higher coefficient (2) and finished on 62 points. Gyokeres got a 1.5 multiplier for playing in a league with lower perceived difficulty and scored 58.5 points.

This year, Gyokeres will have a level playing field, and his stats suggest that Arsenal fans could be in for a treat.

Viktor Gyokeres Stats vs Erling Haaland

Playing Style

Viktor Gyokeres is a modern-day No. 9. He can comfortably drift out wide and drop deep, but also has the presence of mind to attack the box when needed.

Erling Haaland is more traditional. He is more rigid in his position and heavily depends on service. Manchester City have an abundance of creators, so he his rarely left stranded. The Norwegian is also a much bigger threat in the air, sitting at the 94.9th percentile.

Shooting and Conversion

Two-time Premier League Golden Boot scorer Erling Haaland is one of the best finishers in the world. But based on last season’s stats, Victor Gyokeres seems marginally better.

Gyokeres scored 27 non-penalty goals from 66 shots on target, taking his goal/shot-on-target to 0.41 (41%). Haaland scored 18 non-penalty goals from 55 shots on target with a 35% conversion rate. According to football betting sites, Haaland is the favourite to win the Premier League Golden Boot for the third time this season.

Gyokeres also posted much superior numbers from dead-ball situations. He converted all 12 of his attempted penalties and scored seven free-kick goals. Haaland, meanwhile, missed one of the four penalties he attempted in the Premier League last season and scored once from a free-kick.

Build-up and Creation

Erling Haaland provided three assists in the Premier League last season. But the stat that stands out most is his expected assist (xA). The former Borussia Dortmund striker is only in the 35.7th percentile.

Arsenal-bound Viktor Gyokeres, meanwhile, claimed seven assists, and his xA was in the 90th percentile. This suggests that the Sweden international is a lot more likely to slip a teammate in.

Spider Chart via DataMB

Viktor Gyokeres vs Erling Haaland DataMB

Viktor Gyokeres Stats vs Alexander Isak

Playing Style

Alexander Isak is a lot more mobile than Viktor Gyokeres. The Newcastle United man likes to linger in the half space and excels in take-ons. Gyokeres is more direct and physical. He likes to put pressure on centre-backs and race in behind whenever possible.

Gyokeres is much superior in aerial duels, ranking in the 76th percentile. Isak, meanwhile, is hovering in a modest 23rd.

Shooting and Conversion

Alexander Isak, who Liverpool were chasing before a crucial sale collapsed, enjoyed his best-ever Premier League campaign in 2024/25. In 34 games, Isak found the back of the net 23 times, outscoring Man City striker Haaland.

He scored 19 non-penalty goals from 41 shots on target, registering a conversion rate of 46%. Viktor Gyokeres had a conversion rate of 41% after scoring 27 non-penalty goals in 66 attempts on target.

Both Isak and Gyokeres outperformed their xG. While Gyokeres scored 39 league goals from an xG of 30.8, Isak bagged 23 from 20.3. Both were excellent in dead-ball situations. While Isak scored 4 penalties (100% conversion) and 3 free-kicks, Gyokeres converted 12 penalties (100%) and scored 7 free-kick goals.

Build-up and Creation

According to the data from FBRef, Viktor Gyokeres performed 154 shot-creating actions — passes, take-ons, drawing fouls, shots — in 2024/25. Alexander Isak is the second on the list of strikers, performing 92 shot-creating actions.

Isak’s expected assists (xA) rank in the 76th percentile, suggesting he is likely to look for his teammates. Gyokeres is still ahead at the 90th percentile.

Spider Chart via DataMB

Viktor Gyokeres Stats vs Alexander Isak
Viktor Gyokeres vs Alexander Isak

Viktor Gyokeres Stats vs Joao Pedro

Playing Style

Joao Pedro is more of a second-striker or false nine, but he is still pretty much a menace inside the box. The Chelsea man showcased his goalscoring prowess in the Club World Cup, scoring three goals in as many games. The former Brighton & Hove Albion ace is quicker and a more aggressive presser than Viktor Gyokeres.

Pedro is also a handful from set-pieces. Like Gyokeres, he also shines in aerial duels. As per DataMB, he is marginally ahead of the Swede in that department. Pedro ranks in the 77th percentile, leading Gyokeres by fractions.

Shooting and Conversion

Being an out-and-out striker, Viktor Gyokeres outscores Joao Pedro by a country mile. The would-be Arsenal man shoots frequently, attempting 127 shots in 33 Primeira Liga matches last term, excluding penalties. He scored 39 goals, with 12 of his goals coming from the spot.

Pedro had a modest 42 shots, only 15 of which landed on target. Of those 15 non-penalty shots on target, five found the back of the net. He scored five penalties, with a conversion rate of 100%. He did not score from a free-kick.

Build-up and Creation

Joao Pedro’s contributions in the final third do not always reflect on the board. He often drops deep and wins the ball back, instigating counterattacks. The Brazilian also makes excellent runs off the ball, freeing up space for his teammates to pounce on.

Pedro performed 72 shot-creating actions in the Premier League last season. Viktor Gyokeres had more than double at 154. While Pedro had a high xA, Gyokeres still beat it (0.14 vs 0.22). Combine his creativity with his goalscoring, and Gyokeres emerges as the much more rounded package.

Spider Chart via DataMB

Viktor Gyokeres Stats vs Joao Pedro
Viktor Gyokeres vs Joao Pedro

Viktor Gyokeres Stats vs Hugo Ekitike

Playing Style

On Wednesday, Liverpool announced they had signed Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Reds have agreed to pay a whopping £79 million for the Frenchman, making him one of the most expensive Premier League signings. In Ekitike, Liverpool have an exciting prospect. He is quick, attacks space, and likes to take players on. However, he still needs to work on his decision-making.

Victor Gyokeres, meanwhile, is very much a finished article. He has mastered the art of analysing the risk vs. reward quotient and is a lot more purposeful.

Shooting and Conversion

Hugo Ekitike scored 15 Bundesliga goals in the 2024/25 season, one of which came from the spot. He took 114 shots — the second highest among the forwards we have compared — but only 44 landed on target. Last season, his goal/shot was 0.12 and goal/shot-on-target 0.32.

Viktor Gyokeres outscored all forwards across the top 10 European leagues last season. An impressive 18% of his 127 non-penalty shots ended up in the back of the net.

Ekitike also struggled to hold his nerve from 12 yards out. He attempted three penalty kicks in the 2024/25 season, missing two. It is safe to say that Mohamed Salah, who won his third FWA Footballer of the Year at the end of the season, will continue to be on penalty duty in 2025/26.

Build-up and Creation

Hugo Ekitike has the edge over Viktor Gyokeres in expected assists (xA). The Frenchman ranks in the 92nd percentile, while Gyokeres is in the 90th. The ex-Frankfurt also edged Gyokeres out in assists, providing eight of them, one more than the would-be Arsenal man.

Ekitike performed 101 shot-creating actions last season, falling 53 short of Gyokeres’ tally. Ekitike completed 52 take-ons, edging out Erling Haaland (13), Alexander Isak (42), and Joao Pedro (29). Gyokeres still reigned supreme, completing 60 in the Primeira Liga.

Spider Chart via DataMB

Viktor Gyokeres vs Hugo Ekitike
Viktor Gyokeres vs Hugo Ekitike

Gyokeres vs Haaland, Isak, Pedro, and Ekitike Spider Chart

Complete Comparison

Gyokeres vs Haaland, Isak, Pedro, and Ekitike In Numbers

Player Club Goals Assists Penalties Goals / Shot on Target Shot-Creating Actions
Viktor Gyokeres Arsenal* 39 7 12 0.41 154
Erling Haaland Manchester City 22 3 5 0.35 71
Alexander Isak Newcastle United 23 6 4 0.46 92
Joao Pedro Chelsea 10 6 3 0.33 72
Hugo Ekitike Liverpool 15 8 1 0.32 101

Sushan Chakraborty Written by Sports EditorSushan Chakraborty
Sushan Chakraborty has been writing professionally since debuting with 90min in 2017. He has since typed out thousands of articles, learning the trade from some of the smartest minds in the business. Now at Sportscasting, he is striving to whip up his best articles yet.
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