Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has advised Arsenal to remain patient with Viktor Gyokeres despite the Swedish forward’s difficult start at the Emirates Stadium. According to a report published by Football London on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Heskey believes the striker still has a role to play in Mikel Arteta’s squad, even if he is unlikely to become the club’s first-choice centre-forward in the immediate future.

Gyokeres arrived at Arsenal from Sporting last year in a transfer reportedly worth £64 million, raising expectations that he would provide a consistent source of goals. However, the 28-year-old has struggled to make the anticipated impact, recording just one goal in 11 appearances across all competitions this season, including five starts.

His only goal came during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round fixture against Fleetwood Town. Arsenal subsequently suffered elimination after losing the tie on penalties, limiting the opportunity for Gyokeres to use his goal as a platform to strengthen his case for a more prominent role in the team.

Heskey believes the forward’s difficulties are partly connected to the differences between his preferred style of play and Arsenal’s attacking approach. According to the former England international, Gyokeres is more comfortable making runs behind opposing defences than receiving the ball with his back to goal, holding it up and linking with teammates.

“Gyokeres is a little bit different to the way that Arsenal want to play; he’s not that brilliant at holding the ball up and bringing in others; he prefers to play on the shoulder and run into space, but that space comes at a premium in the Premier League,” Heskey said.

The former striker acknowledged that the situation has not developed as he had hoped, but he does not believe Arsenal should immediately consider ending their association with Gyokeres. Instead, he argued that the club’s demanding schedule makes it important to maintain a strong squad with players capable of offering different attacking qualities.

“I was hoping it would work out for him, but you can see why it hasn’t. He’s more of an old-school type of centre-forward,” Heskey added.

He also warned against selling the Swedish international prematurely, pointing to the number of matches Arsenal must negotiate throughout the season. Having alternative options in attack could help Arteta adjust his tactics depending on the opposition and the circumstances of individual games.

“I wouldn’t tell Arsenal to cut their losses, because you’re always going to need a backup with the number of games they will play, and you always need a player that gives you that versatility to play against a different sort of style,” Heskey said.

His comments suggest that Gyokeres could remain useful as a squad player, even if he does not regularly feature in Arsenal’s starting lineup. The forward’s physical presence and preference for running beyond defenders may offer the manager a different attacking option when the team faces opponents who defend differently.

Meanwhile, Arteta has continued to express confidence in Kai Havertz, indicating that the German could reach 30 goals in a season if given sufficient playing time. Havertz’s continued involvement means competition for the centre-forward position is likely to remain intense.

Arteta has also defended Gyokeres, praising his effort and commitment while stressing that small details can influence how a striker’s performances are assessed. The manager’s support suggests the club are not necessarily ready to make a final judgement on the forward’s long-term prospects.

With the campaign still underway, Arsenal may choose to give Gyokeres additional time to adjust to their system. Although his early performances have fallen short of expectations, his availability and contrasting style could still prove valuable as the Gunners compete across domestic and European competitions.