Arsenal have named their starting XI for today’s Premier League game away to Burnley, and one immediate issue stands out.

Even if the Gunners are big favourites to pick up another three points this afternoon, there are no easy matches in the Premier League, and if there’s one criticism of Mikel Arteta’s side it’s that they rely too much on set pieces for goals.

Arsenal’s defence is rock solid, and their record for set-piece goals is very strong, but it would certainly be good if they were able to create more from open play to.

Specifically, it would also be a welcome boost if Viktor Gyokeres were to start scoring more, having hit only five goals so far this season, with just three of those coming in the Premier League.

Still, looking at Arsenal’s line up this afternoon, my immediate instinct is that Gyokeres will struggle in front of goal again…

?? ???????? ?

? Saliba partners Gabriel
? Rice pulling the strings
? Gyokeres leads the line

Give it everything again, Gunners ?

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 1, 2025

Perhaps I’ll soon be proved wrong, but using Eberechi Eze on the left instead of in the centre looks like the better choice here.

Instead, it’s Leandro Trossard starting on the left of the front three, and he’s not really a classic winger who’s going to whip balls into the box that Gyokeres can feed off.

Is Eberechi Eze the key to Arsenal getting the best out of Viktor Gyokeres?

One of Arsenal’s best goals this season was that flowing team move against Nottingham Forest, which culminated in Eze crossing it first time into the box for Gyokeres to finish.

Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring for Arsenal (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

That’s the kind of goal Gyokeres is good at, and that’s the kind of service he needs, which he’s not going to get from wingers like Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli.

Eze is also not necessarily an out and out wide player, but the England international has played well there and that goal against Forest showed how effective that partnership could be.

No one else has really found Gyokeres with ammunition like that, so Arteta surely needs to think about getting them closer together, perhaps with Trossard dropping to the bench and Ethan Nwaneri coming in to play centrally while Martin Odegaard is out injured.

Is this overly harsh on Arteta’s Arsenal team selection? Is today bound to be a big win anyway? Let us know your thoughts and predictions in the comments!