Arsenal Skipped the Big Forward, So Can Gyokeres and Eze Actually Deliver the Title?

Arsenal wanted a game-changing forward this summer. They didn't get one. Now the most important question in the Premier League isn't who they signed, it's whether what they already have is enough to defend the title.

The short answer is probably yes. The longer answer is far more interesting from a betting perspective.

The Targets They Couldn't Land

This wasn't a quiet window by design. Arsenal went after big names. Vinicius Jr was a genuine target, not just a rumour, and there was a real period inside the club where people believed they were going to pull it off. Real Madrid blinked first by offering him a bigger contract, and that was that.

Morgan Rogers was another name on the list. Arsenal valued him at £80m and wouldn't budge. Chelsea paid £117m. Whether Arsenal were right to hold their line or wrong to miss a player of that calibre is a debate the fanbase will be having for months.

Bradley Barcola went to Liverpool. Julian Alvarez went back to training at Atletico Madrid after Arteta laid out his plans to the player in person. Every attacking door closed. That's not bad luck, it's a pattern, and it raises real questions about how attractive this project actually is to elite forwards compared to the club's own self-assessment.

What They Actually Built

Set aside the forward debate for a moment because the business Arsenal did do deserves credit. Bruno Guimaraes at £75m is the kind of midfield signing that wins titles. His physicality, his passing range and his ability to control tempo gives Arteta something he didn't fully have before.

Ezri Konsa brings defensive quality and depth at a time when William Saliba and Jurrien Timber are both carrying injury concerns. The numbers behind Konsa last season were genuinely elite. Over 73% success in ground duels and 95% passing accuracy made him one of the best defenders in the league by the data, and that's not a stat you can fake.

Christos Tzolis is an unknown quantity at this level but showed enough in the Community Shield and the opening Premier League win to suggest he's not just a squad filler. The win over Aston Villa on the opening weekend also came with a bench containing nine full internationals. That's a squad, not a team.

The Gyokeres and Eze Question

This is where it gets genuinely interesting for anyone looking at Arsenal's betting prospects this season.

Viktor Gyokeres scored 21 goals in his debut season and yet hasn't played a single minute of either of the first two Premier League games. That's a significant detail. Either Arteta has concerns about him, or there's a fitness issue being managed quietly. Either way, the club's top striker being absent from matchday squads this early is not a comfortable sign.

Eberechi Eze on the left wing is a different kind of bet. He thrived in that role at Crystal Palace and showed real quality in Arsenal's biggest games last season. With Martinelli and Trossard both gone, the path is clear for him to own that position. If he can contribute 12 to 15 league goals and assists combined, Arsenal won't miss those two as much as fans fear.

Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino coming into the season fully fit also changes the calculus. Both missed large portions of last campaign, which left Gyokeres exposed and isolated up front for long stretches. A fully available Havertz is a different player to the stop-start version we saw last term.

Our Read on Arsenal's Title Chances

Arsenal are still the side to beat in the Premier League. Their squad depth, their coaching and their momentum from last season's title win makes them the most coherent project in the league. The forward situation is a concern but it's not a crisis, not yet.

From a betting angle, we'd be looking at Arsenal each-way in the Premier League title market rather than straight win. The value sits in the gap between their genuine quality and the uncertainty around whether the attack can carry them through a full 38-game season without a proven elite finisher.

If Gyokeres rediscovers the form that made Sporting sell him for £64m and Eze clicks in a more prominent role, Arsenal at anything above 3/1 for the title is worth serious consideration. If the goals dry up by November, the window for backing them at a good price will have closed.

The squad is one of the best in Europe. Whether it's good enough to win the title without a world-class forward is the bet Arsenal are asking everyone to take this season.