He scored twice as soon as he came on against Sunderland on Saturday. Gyokeres is clearly off to a flying start this calendar year.
Highly effective leading the Gunners' attack, the Swede has become a key player for Mikel Arteta. He’s the one helping the Londoners stay at the top. But it’s a role he’s taken time to grow into.
"The difference is consistency."
Last year, the football world couldn’t stop talking about him. Gyokeres was making headlines at Sporting.
And with good reason: the prolific striker enjoyed a season with 39 goals and 8 assists in the league.
Naturally, Arsenal took an interest and signed him last summer for £63.5 million.
The investment was meant to pay off, and the Swede was hungry for success. But things didn’t click straight away.
He needed time to adapt and was hampered by injuries. It wasn’t really until December, or even January, that the dazzling striker re-emerged - the one now shining in the Premier League.
"What really makes the difference is consistency," his manager assured after last weekend’s match.
"He shows it every day in training, working to better understand his teammates, his relationships, and demanding the movements and passes he wants.
"It’s very hard to read his emotions. He’s not too affected by ups and downs. That’s exactly what we need. He’s very demanding of himself and always looking to improve."
Six goals and two assists in eights matches
Comfortable in duels, the striker is also positioning himself better on the pitch. His finishing is bringing success to the team, and he’s developing his game in line with the other players.
His presence in the box is a real asset. Just look at his six goals and two assists in eight matches since January 14th (all competitions).
What’s more, despite fierce competition, he manages to stand out. Proof: even though he started on the bench on Saturday, one of his first touches immediately helped the Gunners break the deadlock.
And it wasn’t the first time he’s made an impact as a substitute. Against Inter in the Champions League, for example, he played just 16 minutes and still managed to score.
But that’s still not enough for the striker. He spoke to The Athletic after the 3-0 win over Sunderland.
"I’m not a complete player or the best in every area," he said.
"You can always do better and improve. I’m happy, but there are still plenty of matches to play. I have to keep going like this. You have to keep believing in yourself.
"You can look back at what you’ve done, but you have to do it again and approach matches with the same mindset as when you were scoring, without getting distracted."
Still full of ambition, Gyokeres will need to continue his promising spell in London to reach his goals.
Off to a good start and now more settled, he could have a big impact in the second half of the season.
He’d impress his fans even more... and who knows, maybe bring Arsenal the ultimate prize?