Key Highlights
- Troy Deeney compares Viktor Gyokeres to Danny Welbeck and downplays his potential as a top striker.
- Gyokeres has scored three goals in the Premier League since joining Arsenal from Sporting Lisbon.
- Mikel Arteta believes Gyokeres is making a positive impact on the team despite limited goal-scoring.
- Deeney argues that Gyokeres will not score as many goals as players like Mohamed Salah or Omer Isak.
Arsenal’s Striker Controversy: Gyokeres vs. Welbeck
In a recent interview, former Watford striker Troy Deeney expressed his views on Viktor Gyokeres, the newly signed striker for Arsenal. Deeney likened Gyokeres to Danny Welbeck, suggesting that despite some initial performances, he is far from the level of Erling Haaland or Harry Kane.
Gyokeres’ Performance and Comparison
Since joining Arsenal from Sporting Lisbon in a high-profile move, Gyokeres has managed just three Premier League goals, including one penalty. Deeney emphasized that while Gyokeres scored twice in the Champions League match against Atletico Madrid, his overall performance does not place him among the league’s elite strikers.
“I’m having to defend that he’s actually playing well because he scored three and ten,” stated Deeney. “So, now he scuffs one in and one hits him and now he’s an elite striker again. It’s like, what are we doing? He’s not in the Haaland bracket, he’s not in the Harry Kane bracket.”
Mikel Arteta’s Perspective
Despite Deeney’s concerns, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes Gyokeres is adding value to the team. Arteta highlighted that the Swede has been a key player since Kai Havertz’s injury, starting in almost every game and contributing to the team’s recent success.
“Viktor deserved it because everything that we were seeing in terms of what he was bringing to the team and how much he was helping the team in many areas, apart from scoring goals in the last few weeks,” said Arteta. “It was about keeping that belief in himself, that emotional state that he can enjoy and play freely.”
Arteta emphasized Gyokeres’ role in making Arsenal a more unpredictable force on the field and praised his physical presence and ball-winning abilities.
Goalscoring Projections
Deeney remains skeptical about Gyokeres reaching top-level goal-scoring standards, comparing him to Danny Welbeck. He stated that Gyokeres is unlikely to score more than Mohamed Salah or Omer Isak for Liverpool, and even fewer goals than Joao Pedro.
“He’s probably not going to score, like I said to you a few weeks back, I don’t think he scores more than Salah or Isak,” Deeney noted. “I don’t think he scores more than Joao Pedro.”
Conclusion
The debate over Viktor Gyokeres’ potential at Arsenal continues as both supporters and critics weigh in on his performance. While Mikel Arteta sees value in the striker’s contributions, Troy Deeney remains unconvinced of his ability to match top-tier goal-scoring levels.
