Gyokeres Faces Crucial EFL Cup Test at Ipswich — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Viktor Gyokeres played the full 90 minutes at Napoli without registering a shot, despite Arsenal outshooting their opponents 26-5 and generating 4.05 expected goals in the Champions League opener.
- Mikel Arteta has demoted Gyokeres from starter to bench option, instead starting Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Christos Tzolis in all four Premier League matches this season.
- Arsenal's attack ranks inside the Premier League's top five with 8 goals and 6.85 expected goals, giving Arteta the depth to rotate freely in Tuesday's EFL Cup tie.
- Ipswich Town have conceded 10 Premier League goals (second-most in the league) with an xGA of 6.74, and manager Gary O'Neill may rotate to prioritize Saturday's survival-mode match against Everton.
- Gyokeres arrived from Sporting CP a year ago with questions about his Premier League suitability, though he appeared to be meeting the league's demands as last season closed.
- Arsenal are heavy favorites at -250 for Tuesday's 3 p.m. ET kickoff at Portman Road (streaming on Paramount+), with the outlet predicting a 2-0 Arsenal win.
Why it matters: With the Premier League title secured, Arsenal's ceiling now hinges on whether their squad can produce when the first-choice front three rests — and Gyokeres's shotless Champions League outing exposed exactly that fragility. Ipswich's defensive porosity (10 goals conceded, second-worst in the league) and likely rotation for Premier League survival make Tuesday a low-risk stage for Arsenal's bench players to make their case ahead of a Champions League run.
Ask SkimNews
