Viktor Gyokeres is more in the same league as Danny Welbeck than Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.
That's the view of former Watford striker Troy Deeney, who hasn't been impressed by the Swede since his big-money move from Sporting Lisbon.
Deeney wants to see more from Gyokeres
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Deeney wants to see more from Gyokeres
Troy Deeney: Viktor Gyokeres is no different to Danny Welbeck, he is nowhere near Erling Haaland or Harry Kane
Due to Kai Havertz's injury, Mikel Arteta has been forced to throw Gyokeres in from the start in basically every game.
The Gunners have been winning with him in the team, so he is adding some value.
But in terms of goalscoring, it hasn't been a great start.
Gyokeres has three Premier League goals to his name with one from the penalty spot.
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He scored twice in midweek in a 4-0 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid, but Deeney still isn't having him.
Speaking to talkSPORT.com's, Deeney said: "I'm having to defend that he's actually playing well because he scored three and ten.
“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.
“We're not talking about a top-top level striker, we're talking about someone who's very good, plays well, and he's doing well for the team, but that team will only go as far as Saka and the two centre-halves.
“He's not the difference maker, that's my point. He's not the difference maker.”
Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring for Arsenal.
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Gyokeres ended a nine-game goal drought for club and country as Arsenal battered AtleticoCredit: Getty
In terms of how many goals he will score after bagging 54 across all competitions last year, Deeney isn't expecting too many.
He is currently behind Welbeck in the standings, and the ex-Watford forward can't see Gyokeres scoring more than several other top forwards.
“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, depending on who's the top for Liverpool. I don't think he scores more than Joao Pedro. We'll see.
“By the way, is he level on goals with Danny Welbeck at the moment?"
Deeney was then informed that he was indeed behind Welbeck in the pecking order.
“Even better then, Welbeck's got more than him."
Danny Welbeck celebrates scoring for Brighton.
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Welbeck is enjoying a fine goalscoring spell at BrightonCredit: Getty
The feeling from Arsenal is that Gyokeres has made a good start because the team is doing well.
It should be said, that if the team are better with him in it, then that is a valid point.
But Deeney feels the talk around him being one of the best strikers in the league is premature.
“No, it's not even about rankings. It's just when you play for a big club, you get more attention, right? And obviously when you score, you get more positive attention.
“But when you actually break it down and just be emotionless, which I am, I don't care about any of it.
“Like he hasn't scored more Premier League goals than Danny Welbeck. But we should be talking about him like he scored as many as Haaland. Why? And if you don't give him that level of credit, you're a hater.
“But if you pull out the pure facts of like, Welbz has scored more Premier League goals than him: ‘No, don't talk about that. Don't talk about that. Because he scored two in the Champions League.
“So Jesus Christ, we can't win either way. So just leave him to it.”
Gyokeres is starting to shoot more
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Gyokeres is starting to shoot more
What to make of Gyokeres?
Ultimately, it doesn't really matter what we all think of Gyokeres.
The most important person in all this is Arteta.
The Spaniard picks the team, and he thinks his striker is making them a better side.
Speaking after the 4-0 win over Atletico, he said: “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, there was no debate about that.
“It was about keeping that belief in himself, that emotional state that he can enjoy and play freely. He had a big smile on his face. I look at his team-mates as well, they are all so happy for him because he fully deserved it.
“He makes us a much better team. We’ve become much more unpredictable. He’s so physical and the way he presses the ball, and holds the ball, that’s phenomenal.
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“And then the icing on the cake is the goals. He’s scored two very different ones today, and hopefully he starts to get some momentum now and goes on a good run.”
So, it remains to be seen how many goals he ends up scoring, but if Arsenal win the title with him in team, they won't care.
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