Arsenal are Premier League champions and strong favourites to retain their title this season — yet the conversation about who should lead their attack refuses to go away. Viktor Gyokeres scored 14 goals during the title-winning campaign, only to find himself second in the pecking order behind Kai Havertz, without a single Premier League start to his name this season.

The debate over who should fill the No.9 role runs deep. Some supporters argue that neither Havertz nor Gyokeres is the answer — that Mikel Merino provides the best option in that position. The fact that the argument rages with such intensity, even after 10 league victories and just one defeat, underlines how unresolved Arsenal's striker question remains.

A problem with a long history

Arsenal's difficulty landing a genuine centre-forward is nothing new. The club produced and housed some of the game's greatest strikers — from Thierry Henry and Ian Wright to Robin van Persie and Dennis Bergkamp — which makes the current vacancy feel all the more glaring. This week, the debate sharpens further when Arsenal face Harry Kane at the Allianz Arena. Kane has scored 15 goals in 22 appearances against Arsenal — 14 in the Premier League while at Tottenham Hotspur, and one in the UEFA Champions League for Bayern Munich.

Arsenal attempted to address the problem last summer but reportedly missed out on Julian Alvarez, whose preference was a move to Barcelona rather than north London. The market itself offers few solutions: Erling Haaland is at Manchester City, Alexander Isak leads Liverpool's line, and Joao Pedro has joined Chelsea. Elite-level No.9s are a scarce commodity across the Premier League.

Goals from everywhere — except the striker

Manager Mikel Arteta entered the season confident that goals would arrive from multiple sources, and the numbers back him up to a point. Ten different players have contributed to Arsenal's 22 goals this season, with scorers ranging from Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard to Bukayo Saka and Nuno Tavares. Substitute contributions have also been telling: the winning goal scored by Noni Madueke at Nottingham Forest was the 26th goal from the bench across the 45 games since the start of last season.

Havertz, meanwhile, is Arteta's preferred option in the central role. The German links play effectively and holds the ball well, but his scoring record has been modest — 13 Premier League goals in his debut Arsenal season in 2023/24, nine the following year, and just two in the title-winning campaign. His injury history adds further uncertainty.

Gyokeres deserves more service

Gyokeres represents a contrasting profile — a forward who thrives running in behind defences, looking to latch onto through balls that rarely arrive at Arsenal. His international record with Sweden stands at 25 goals in 41 appearances, a return better than Alexander Isak's 19 in 63 caps. The Swede's problem at Arsenal is less about his own ability and more about the service he receives.

When Gyokeres came on as a substitute against Nottingham Forest, he pressed relentlessly and worked hard to make himself available — yet the ball reached him infrequently. He also showed sharp instinct in attack: as Madueke's deflected strike hit the back of the net and spilled out, Gyokeres was already on hand to slam it back in. His willingness to position himself inside the six-yard box, anticipating a loose ball, illustrated the kind of movement Arsenal's system too rarely rewards.

Arteta's preference for wide play and patient ball rotation can limit the through-ball service that would unlock Gyokeres most effectively. Quicker transitions and more direct passing through central channels — something Bruno Guimarães is capable of providing — could yet bring the best out of him.

For now, the conundrum persists. Merino has 16 goals in 88 appearances for Arsenal but is primarily a midfielder. Havertz retains first-choice status. And Gyokeres — a player with the instincts and record to be a genuine No.9 — continues to wait.