ARTETA VS GYÖKERES: WHY IS HAVERTZ GETTING THE PREFERENCE? ARSENAL’S STRIKER DEBATE EXPLODES

Arsenal may be winning, but that has not stopped uncomfortable questions from emerging about Mikel Arteta’s treatment of Viktor Gyökeres. Why has Arsenal’s marquee striker been sidelined for significant periods since the beginning of the season, and is Arteta getting the best out of one of the club’s most important attacking investments? In this explosive episode of HAUJUI BALL, I take on a Chelsea supporter who believes Arteta is right to question Gyökeres’ quality, arguing that the Swedish striker is simply not a top striker. What begins as a discussion about Arsenal’s attacking options quickly becomes a heated debate about managerial judgment, player statistics, tactical preferences, and the standards expected of a club chasing major honours. I challenge the idea that Gyökeres should be dismissed simply because Arteta appears to prefer other options. If Arsenal invested in a striker to solve their problems in front of goal, why is he not consistently being trusted to lead the line? Is the problem genuinely Gyökeres’ ability, or is Arteta failing to build an attacking system that gets the best out of him? My Chelsea opponent backs Arteta, insisting that Gyökeres has not demonstrated the quality required to be considered an elite striker. But I push back: does a manager’s preference automatically make one player better than another? And should a striker be judged by the opportunities he receives, the goals he scores, his all-round contribution, or the tactical demands placed upon him? This is where the argument gets particularly interesting. Havertz offers qualities that can make him valuable beyond conventional goalscoring, while Gyökeres brings a different profile as a striker. But if Arsenal need a reliable goalscorer to lead their attack, should the manager prioritise the natural centre-forward, or is Havertz’s overall game enough to justify the preference? We also examine whether winning matches is enough to shield Arteta from criticism. Arsenal supporters have every reason to celebrate victories, but success does not mean every selection decision is beyond question. A team can win while still leaving important tactical issues unresolved. If Gyökeres is not being used to his strengths, could Arsenal be wasting a major attacking asset? And if Arteta genuinely believes Havertz is the better option, what evidence supports that judgment? Then comes the question every Arsenal supporter will be watching closely: who starts against Liverpool this weekend? With Arsenal preparing for a crucial Premier League showdown at Anfield on Sunday, 1 November, Arteta faces a selection decision that could shape the narrative around his attack. Will he trust Gyökeres to lead the line, turn to Havertz, or find another way to accommodate both? Does the Liverpool fixture provide the perfect opportunity for Gyökeres to silence his critics, or will Arteta's tactical calculations once again determine who gets the nod? This is a charged conversation about more than one player. It is about accountability, statistics, managerial authority, expensive signings, and whether football fans sometimes defend a manager's decisions simply because the team is winning. Arteta is winning games. But is he getting Gyökeres right? Is Havertz genuinely the better choice? And who should lead Arsenal’s attack against Liverpool? Watch the full episode of HAUJUI BALL as I challenge a Chelsea fan to defend Arteta’s decisions, put the striker debate under the microscope, and ask whether Arsenal are making the right choices at the most important point of their season. 👇 JOIN THE DEBATE IN THE COMMENTS: Is Viktor Gyökeres a top striker, or has he failed to meet Arsenal’s expectations? Is Arteta unfairly sidelining Gyökeres despite the club’s investment in him? Who is the better option for Arsenal: Gyökeres or Havertz? Do the individual statistics support Arteta’s preference? Should Arsenal start Gyökeres against Liverpool at Anfield? Can Arsenal win the biggest trophies if their best attacking combination remains a subject of debate? Subscribe to HAUJUI BALL for passionate Premier League debates, tactical analysis, controversial football opinions, and honest conversations that challenge the narratives surrounding the biggest clubs in the game. Like, share, and turn on notifications. Send this episode to an Arsenal supporter who backs Arteta and a rival fan who thinks Arsenal are getting their striker selection wrong. HAUJUI BALL — NO SAFE OPINIONS. NO EASY QUESTIONS. JUST FOOTBALL. #Arsenal #ViktorGyokeres #MikelArteta #KaiHavertz #ArsenalFC #LiverpoolVsArsenal #PremierLeague #FootballDebate #FootballAnalysis #HAUJUIBALL