Former Arsenal stars Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has left tongues wagging recently after his brace against Atletico Madrid in their last Champions League match.
Former Gunners winger Theo Walcott believes the Swedish striker reminds him of one of his former Arsenal teammate during his long playing spell at the Emirates Stadium
Gyokeres ended his goal drought with a brace against Atletico Madrid, and Walcott while on punditry duties with TNT Sports praised his contribution to the team, saying, “He was probably one player who was really an outstanding centre-forward because he got the best out of me. At times, he’s probably underappreciated as an Arsenal player.”
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Walcott highlighted Gyokeres’ ability to occupy defenders and create space for his teammates, a trait he saw in Giroud during their time together at Arsenal. “When I say affected the game, he occupied people, and it created more space,” Walcott explained.
However, Walcott noted a key difference between Giroud and Gyokeres – the latter’s clinical finishing. “The new Arsenal striker is much more clinical, and if he gets a clear-cut opportunity, we think he will bury it more often than not,” Walcott said.
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Giroud, who joined Arsenal in 2012, was respected by his teammates for his work rate, but struggled with consistency in front of goal.
Arsenal - Viktor Gyokeres with Gabriel Magalhaes
Arsenal – Viktor Gyokeres with Gabriel Magalhaes (Photo credit: Getty images)
Gyokeres, on the other hand, has shown promise with his physical presence and movement, making him a valuable asset to Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Walcott believes Gyokeres could be pivotal in Arsenal’s title challenge, saying, “He’s creating havoc, he’s creating chances for other people, and he’s getting the best out of other players.” With his ability to disrupt opposition defenses, Gyokeres might just be the difference-maker Arsenal needs to conquer Europe
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