With the arrival of their highly-regarded striker, Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal fans are eagerly anticipating how many goals the Swedish forward must contribute for the club to realistically contend for the Premier League title.
Having secured second place in the league for three consecutive campaigns, Arsenal has invested over $75 million in Gyokeres. His impressive record of 97 goals in just 102 appearances across all competitions for Sporting Lisbon, following his move from Coventry City, sets high expectations. He`s expected to elevate Arsenal, aiming for both their first Premier League triumph in years and potentially their inaugural Champions League title.
Despite questions about whether Gyokeres can replicate his prolific form from Portugal in the more demanding English league, Arsenal boasts a strong attacking line-up with talents like Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, and recent signing Noni Madueke. If Gyokeres can leverage the same scoring opportunities he found at Sporting, the Gunners could once again challenge for the Premier League. The key question remains: what specific goal tally will push them to victory?
Top Scorers for Premier League Champions (2015-2025)
An analysis of the top scorers for Premier League champions over the past decade reveals key trends:
| Season | PL Winner | Top Scorer | Number of goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Liverpool | Mohamed Salah | 29 |
| 2023-24 | Manchester City | Erling Haaland | 27 |
| 2022-23 | Manchester City | Erling Haaland | 36 |
| 2021-22 | Manchester City | Kevin De Bruyne | 15 |
| 2020-21 | Manchester City | Ilkay Gundogan | 13 |
| 2019-20 | Liverpool | Mohamed Salah | 19 |
| 2018-19 | Manchester City | Sergio Aguero | 21 |
| 2017-18 | Manchester City | Sergio Aguero | 21 |
| 2016-17 | Chelsea | Diego Costa | 20 |
| 2015-16 | Leicester City | Jamie Vardy | 24 |
Over the last ten seasons, the Premier League winner`s top scorer dipped below 20 goals on only three occasions. Two of these instances involved Manchester City, whose tactical system under Pep Guardiola often distributes goals among multiple players. The average goal tally for the top scorer of a title-winning team over this period is 22.5. Given the support he`ll receive, Gyokeres is expected to have ample opportunities to reach this benchmark.
Looking at the 2024-25 season, five players notched 20 or more Premier League goals, and three of those players` teams secured a top-four finish. This highlights the crucial benchmark Gyokeres must aim for at Arsenal this season. Last season, a single additional goal in various matches could have significantly altered Arsenal`s fate, as they finished 10 points behind champions Liverpool. Although the point difference was substantial, Arsenal`s 14 draws (the second-highest in the league) and three one-goal defeats suggest that a potent striker could have turned those results into wins, potentially closing the gap.
In contrast to the 22 goals and six assists combined from Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz in the central attacking role, Gyokeres alone netted an impressive 39 league goals for Sporting last season. Arsenal`s top scorer over the past three seasons has averaged just 13.3 goals. While some reduction in his scoring rate is anticipated in the Premier League, if Gyokeres can achieve 20 or more goals, Arsenal will undoubtedly be strong contenders for a trophy in the coming campaign.
