Jamie Carragher has told Arsenal that they should bench Viktor Gyokeres, and play someone else as their striker instead.
The Gunners managed a superb 4-1 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday night at the Emirates, which was a real revenge game from the defeat they suffered at Villa Park earlier in the month. It left Arsenal top of the table, and clear of Man City by five points.
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Pep Guardiola’s side play against Sunderland on New Year’s Day, and so will have all the pressure on them to keep pace with the Gunners.
During the Villa win, Arsenal goals came from Gabriel, Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus, who scored his first goal since returning from his ACL injury. Viktor Gyokeres yet again failed to score, and the pressure is beginning to mount on the marquee summer signing.
Carragher tells Arsenal to start Jesus over Gyokeres
After the match, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher had some harsh words for Gyokeres, suggesting that Mikel Arteta should start playing Jesus over him during the run-in to give Arsenal the best chance of winning the league.
Carragher said on Sky Sports: “I am a huge fan of Jesus, always have been. He’s probably not an amazing finisher, but he’s a fantastic footballer.
“Gyokeres should not be starting for Arsenal when they’ve got players like this. I think in a couple of games’ time, when Jesus is more up to speed, he’s a better player than Gyokeres, that’s a fact. The question is whether he’s good enough to help Arsenal win the league, but right now, he’s better than the player they brought in who was going to win them the league.
“Him or Havertz as the central striker for Arsenal is a better player than Gyokeres. I just think he [Gyokeres] lacks a bit of finesse and quality, when you’re thinking what they’ve got on the bench.”
Jesus has been at Arsenal since 2022, but he’s had a lot of injury struggles, making just 100 appearances. In that time, he’s been able to score 27 goals, and provide 20 assists.
Click here to see Arsenal’s latest transfer news heading into the January transfer window.