A former Arsenal star has given his verdict on Viktor Gyokeres' start to life at the club
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has struggled at times during his debut season
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Former Arsenal star Jermaine Pennant has compared Viktor Gyokeres to Darwin Nunez as the striker continues to adapt to the Premier League. The 27-year-old was widely viewed as the final piece of the puzzle for manager Mikel Arteta, but the forward has struggled at times during his first few months with the Gunners.
Gyokeres was prolific during his two-year spell at Sporting CP, netting a remarkable 97 goals in 102 games. His outstanding record in Portugal convinced Arsenal to pay a fee rising to £63.6million for the Sweden international as the club searched for the striker who could lead them to Premier League glory.
With his only prior experience of English football coming in the Championship, many had reservations about him adapting to the top flight. His current return of five goals in 15 league games is below what many Gunners fans would have been hoping for, leading to questions over his place in the side.
However, ex-Arsenal winger Pennant believes that much of the criticism overlooks the bigger picture. The 42-year-old used former Liverpool striker Nunez as a prime example of the difficulties that Gyokeres is facing after joining the Gunners from Sporting.
“All I can say is that you can’t expect him to get the numbers he was scoring for Lisbon as this is the Premier League, not the Portuguese league,” Pennant exclusively told Mirror Football, via Casino Groups. “You look at Darwin Nunez who was scoring 30+ for Benfica and he came to Liverpool and wasn’t getting those numbers at all.
“I still believe he did a good job for Liverpool, but at the end of the day, it can take time to get up to speed with the Premier League. Gyokeres is doing well for Arsenal.
"They sit top of the league, he’s scored goals, his movement is good and he's contributing again after his injury. But there is a big difference between the Premier League and the Portuguese league, and remember he was playing in the Championship only a few years ago.”
Darwin Nunez playing for Liverpool
Darwin Nunez was not as prolific after joining Liverpool from Benfica
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Nunez scored 48 goals in 85 games for Benfica before his three-year spell with Liverpool, where he netted 40 in 143 appearances. Arsenal will hope Gyokeres can improve upon that scoring rate once he has settled into his role as the club’s leading number nine.
Before the summer, the Gunners had previously targeted Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins. Pennant argues that the England star would have been a better solution for Arteta’s team, though he insists that Arsenal should have no regrets about signing Gyokeres.
“If you look at Villa, they are well in this title race and by keeping Watkins, he gives them a chance,” Pennant explained. "If, hypothetically, Watkins had moved to Arsenal, then yes, I think he would have been a better fit for them than Gyokeres, as Watkins has proven Premier League experience and this is crucial as he would have been used to the pace and way of the Premier League and taken no time to get used to playing for Arsenal.
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins was previously targeted by Arsenal
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“Watkins would have fit really well for Arsenal in that number nine role, I believe. [But] did Arsenal make a mistake in signing Gyokeres? Absolutely not.”
Gyokeres scored the winner from the penalty spot in Arsenal’s victory over Everton last time out. He will hope to find the net once again this weekend as the league leaders prepare to host Brighton.
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