Gabriel Agbonlahor has delivered a damning assessment of Viktor Gyokeres‘ Premier League adaptation, claiming the Arsenal striker lacks the crucial attributes needed for success at the highest level while endorsing Hugo Ekitike as the superior option.
The former Aston Villa striker’s analysis on TalkSport highlighted glaring weaknesses in Gyokeres’ performances against elite opposition. His struggles against Manchester United were particularly evident when facing Matthijs de Ligt, with the Dutchman dominating physical battles throughout the match.
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Championship Success Doesn’t Guarantee Premier League Quality According to Agbonlahor
Agbonlahor pointed to a telling contrast between Gyokeres’ performances against different levels of opposition. While the Swedish striker looked impressive against Leeds United‘s “Championship-level defenders”, scoring his first Arsenal goal by cutting inside, the pundit dismissed this as misleading evidence.
Mikel Arteta and Viktor Gyokeres Arsenal
Mikel Arteta and Viktor Gyokeres (Via Mirror)
“I look at that goal and say that doesn’t happen against Premier League defenders, how easy it was because he’s not the quickest,” Agbonlahor explained. This observation cuts to the heart of Gyokeres’ adaptation issues – what works against lower-level opposition fails against Premier League quality.
The striker’s penalty conversion against Leeds, while technically excellent, couldn’t mask fundamental concerns about his suitability for English football’s top division.
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Liverpool Expose Fundamental Flaws
Gyokeres’ performance against Liverpool provided the most concerning evidence of his Premier League struggles. Agbonlahor observed how Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk *“found it very easy to get the ball off him,*” highlighting defensive vulnerabilities that elite opponents can exploit.
The pundit’s assessment was particularly brutal regarding Gyokeres’ physical battles: “Whenever the ball was played up to him, whenever he tried to run the channel, they ate him, they ate him alive and he didn’t look strong enough.”
This inability to hold up play or win aerial duels against Premier League defenders represents a fundamental flaw in Arsenal’s attacking approach when deploying Gyokeres as their focal point.
The Pace Problem
Central to Agbonlahor’s criticism is Gyokeres’ lack of pace, described as missing “that yard of pace” essential for Premier League success. This deficiency becomes particularly problematic in big games where margins are tight and defensive quality is highest.
While acknowledging Gyokeres could score 15-20 goals across all competitions, Agbonlahor questioned whether he represents the final piece in Arsenal’s championship puzzle. His endorsement of alternatives like Ekitike and Alexander Isak, who possess that crucial “extra yard of pace,” suggests Arsenal may have invested in the wrong striker profile for their ambitions.
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