Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Gyokeres Feels Disrespected After Arsenal Benched Him

9/8/2026

1 1 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta recently benched Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Piers Morgan says Gyokeres feels disrespected after being deliberately benched to force his exit.
Gyokeres joined Arsenal for £64 million last summer and scored 14 Premier League goals.
Arsenal reportedly planned a swap of Gyokeres for Julian Alvarez, which fell through.

History

Historical Context

In August 2016 Manchester United broke the British transfer record by paying £89 million for midfielder Paul Pogba, returning him from Juventus. Under José Mourinho he started 30 league games, but United finished sixth, sparking criticism of big-money signings. His 2020-21 benching, like Arsenal’s with Viktor Gyokeres, revived debate on tighter contract clauses and squad rotation.

1 of 2

Story summary

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta recently benched Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Piers Morgan says Gyokeres feels disrespected after being deliberately benched to force his exit.
Gyokeres joined Arsenal for £64 million last summer and scored 14 Premier League goals.
Arsenal reportedly planned a swap of Gyokeres for Julian Alvarez, which fell through.

1 / 2