Ever since Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m) arrived in north London, armed with his impressive 89% scoring record from penalties, there has been some debate as to whether the striker would take over spot-kick duties from Bukayo Saka (£10.0m).
WHAT ARTETA PREVIOUSLY SAID
Mikel Arteta poured fuel on that fire in late July, saying:
“Well, I’m sure that he will step in if they allow him to do so, because as you say he’s been very consistent and he’s scored many goals, but we have some other penalty takers, really good ones as well. So, they will resolve it themselves and if not, I will intervene in the right moment!” – Mikel Arteta on Viktor Gyokeres’ ability from the penalty spot
SPORTBLADET CLAIM
This week, the usually reliable Sportbladet, which seemed to have the inside scoop on Gyokeres’ transfer to Arsenal to begin with, furthered the intrigue.
Within that paywalled article, the Swedish newspaper’s Daniel Kristoffersson claims Gyokeres has been “selected as penalty taker for the club for the upcoming season”.
ARTETA TO ESPN BRASIL ON HIS ‘BEST PENALTY TAKER’
The biggest clue yet though comes from a quickfire Q&A that Arteta did with ESPN Brasil, posted in the last few days.
The Arsenal boss was asked a series of questions, from best finisher (Saka) to best header (Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.0m)). One of them, possibly tellingly, was ‘best penalty taker’ – and Arteta answered with Gyokeres.
@espnbrasil Arteta não ficou em cima do muro 👀 #arsenal #arsenalfc #premierleague #futebol #tiktokesportes ♬ original sound – ESPN Brasil
SAKA V GYOKERES V ODEGAARD: PENALTY TAKING RECORD
| Pens taken | Pens scored | Pen success rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyokeres | 38 | 34 | 89.5% |
| Saka | 16 | 13 | 81.3% |
| Odegaard | 5 | 4 | 80% |
Gyokeres’ recent record is even better: he took a preposterous 20 in all competitions last season, scoring every single one.
Saka and Odegaard, by contrast, have both missed their most recent efforts from 12 yards.
WHO TOOK ARSENAL’S PENALTIES LAST SEASON?
| Penalty taker | Result | Were Saka + Odegaard on the pitch? |
|---|---|---|
| Trossard (UCL, Oct 22) | Missed | No, neither |
| Saka (UCL, Nov 26) | Scored | Yes, both |
| Odegaard (PL, Nov 30) | Scored | Yes, both |
| Saka (PL, Nov 30) | Scored | Yes, both |
| Odegaard (FAC, Jan 12) | Missed | Odegaard yes, Saka no |
| Jorginho (UCL, Jan 29) | Scored | Odegaard yes, Saka no |
| Sterling (UCL, Jan 29) | Missed | Odegaard yes, Saka no |
| Saka (UCL, Apr 16) | Missed | Yes, both |
We’ve rehashed the above table from our summer article, which was published before Gyokeres arrived.
Ostensibly, Saka was the first choice – but as has happened before, he let someone else muscle in on the action.
The England international and Martin Odegaard (£8.0m) scored Arsenal’s only two Premier League penalties of 2024/25. They came in the same game (v West Ham United in Gameweek 13) and each player scored with the other on the pitch!
WHAT IS SAKA’S RECORD LIKE WITHOUT PENALTIES?
| Season | Starts (sub apps) | Goals scored | Non-pen goals scored | xG | Non-pen xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | 20 (5) | 6 | 5 | 6.85 | 6.06 |
| 2023/24 | 35 (0) | 16 | 10 | 15.50 | 10.77 |
| 2022/23 | 37 (1) | 14 | 12 | 11.44 | 9.08 |
| 2021/22 | 36 (2) | 11 | 9 | 10.70 | 9.13 |
| 2020/21 | 30 (2) | 5 | 5 | 6.90 | 6.90 |
| 2019/20 | 19 (7) | 1 | 1 | 0.97 | 0.97 |
A lack of penalties wouldn’t have really harmed Saka that much last season, as he scored only one of them.
In his best-ever FPL season of 2023/24, he would have dropped from ninth in the xG standings to 20th without spot-kicks.
FPL-wise, having no penalties would have dropped him 30+ points with the goals/bonus lost – although he would have had one assist to his name instead, having won one of the six he converted.
Indeed, without pens, he wouldn’t have got above 200 points in FPL in any of his seasons.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So, then, a potential boost for Gyokeres after his so-so debut against Manchester United.
Not only might he have penalties in his locker, but his main positional rival, Kai Havertz (£7.5m), is now out injured.
Until we see the ball on the spot, of course, it’s all rumour – even if it’s come from the mouth of Arteta. He’s been of the “the players decide on the pitch” school in the past, so even he might not have the final say.
Saka, meanwhile, is still a phenomenal player and a fine Fantasy pick – but being the only one of the five £10.0m assets without spot-kick duties (assuming Alexander Isak (£10.4m) stays at Newcastle United…!) does dent his appeal somewhat.
