Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp are often mentioned among the best players to ever wear an Arsenal shirt.
The Gunners have been around for 140 years, and it’s hard to find many players who had more influence than those two.
Henry is still the club’s all-time leading scorer, while Bergkamp holds the record for most assists in Arsenal history.
And yet, one current player has quietly been putting up numbers that stand out even compared to those two icons – Viktor Gyokeres.
Viktor Gyokeres’ start at Arsenal is statistically ahead of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp
Arsenal brought Viktor Gyokeres in from Sporting CP over the summer, hoping he could finally give them a reliable option up front.
It’s been a long time since Arsenal have had a truly prolific striker, and Andrea Berta opted for Gyokeres instead of others like Benjamin Sesko.
He’s not exactly taken the league by storm, and there’s been plenty of criticism since his arrival in July.
But one stat now suggests people might be writing him off too soon. In 32 appearances across all competitions, he has scored 13 goals for the Gunners.
That total actually puts him ahead of both Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp when they first joined the club. According to The Sun, Henry had 11 goals in his opening 32 matches, while Bergkamp managed 10.
This isn’t to say that Gyokeres is anywhere near their level — far from it. But it does show that some of the criticism he’s faced might be premature.
Viktor Gyokeres has been quietly outscoring Henry and Bergkamp in his early days at Arsenal
Gyokeres made the move from Sporting CP to the Emirates during the summer window, joining a squad that had long been searching for a reliable presence up front.
There were plenty of debates around whether he was the right pick, especially with other names like Benjamin Sesko linked to the role. Even after arriving, there’s been no shortage of criticism directed his way.
But while the headlines haven’t always been kind, there’s one stat that paints a very different picture.
The Swedish striker has netted 13 goals across 32 appearances for Arsenal so far. For context, Henry managed 11 goals in his first 32 games for the club, and Bergkamp scored just 10 over the same span (The Sun).
Nobody is saying Gyokeres is on their level yet. But those numbers do show he might not be getting the credit he deserves.
Viktor Gyokeres looks ready to silence critics with strong debut season
It feels like every pundit has taken a swing at Gyokeres over these past six months.
The noise only seemed to get louder as time went on, almost as if some were hoping he’d struggle. But with each match, he’s giving them more reasons to backtrack.
If this form continues through the rest of the campaign, hitting 20 goals isn’t out of reach – an impressive feat for anyone new to English football.
This weekend brings another test against Brentford. Gyokeres should be back in the starting XI once again, and it’ll be worth watching how he handles this one too.