Carragher names two replacements for Arsenal player who ‘shouldn’t be starting’
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher insists Viktor Gyokeres “shouldn’t be starting” for Arsenal after their 4-1 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday night.
The Gunners were comfortable winners against the Villans with goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus securing an important three points.
Gyokeres failed to score or have a big impact on the match as Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta took him off on 77 minutes for Jesus, who scored almost immediately.
The Sweden international has scored seven goals in 22 appearances in all competitions this season but it’s just one goal in their last eight matches.
And Carragher reckons Jesus will permanently replace Gyokeres in the Arsenal side once the Brazilian gets back up to match fitness after a long spell out through injury.
Carragher told Sky Sports: “I’m a huge fan of Jesus. He’s not always been an amazing finisher but he is a fantastic footballer.
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“I think maybe the only negative of the night for Arsenal is that Gyokeres shouldn’t be starting for Arsenal when they’ve got players like this (Jesus).
“I think in a couple of games’ time when Jesus is a little bit more up to speed, he’s a better player than Gyokeres. That’s a fact.
“He [Jesus] has been questioned before, is he good enough for Arsenal to help them win the league? But right now he is better than the guy they brought in who they thought was going to win them the league.
“Him or Havertz as the central striker for Arsenal is a better player than Gyokeres. Gyokeres is really game and I admire him for taking that penalty against Everton, he always looks really intense.
“But I think he just lacks that finesse and quality when you think about what they have on the bench.
“Don’t forget, city have [Erling] Haaland so I think Arsenal need to improve on what they have in Gyokeres and they have players who can improve on Gyokeres in Jesus.”
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Ahead of their clash with Aston Villa, former Tottenham striker Gary Lineker insisted that Arsenal striker Gyokeres needs to be more like Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the box.
Lineker said on The Rest Is Football podcast: “I’ve watched him [Gyokeres] quite closely the last few weeks and I think he’s like most strikers, is one that waits to see where it’s going, the ball, waits until it’s crossed and then attacks the space.
“That’s what defenders do, as a striker you got to gamble on where you think the ball might go and you go just as they’re about to cross it. You steal a march on the defender that way and lots of the time the ball won’t go there, but I don’t see him doing that very often.
“Dominic Calvert Lewin did a perfect example of how to do that for the Leeds goal at Sunderland, perfect. He didn’t wait and to see where it was going to go. He went right, I pulled away and then he sprinted at the near post and hoped that the ball would be delivered there and it was.
“I don’t see that too often from Gyokeres at present, the players that score big numbers will do that. You know, [Erling] Haaland, [Harry] Kane, [Robert] Lewandowski, they know how to make those kind of moves into those spaces.
“Is it something you can learn? I’ve always thought yes, but because it’s actually common sense because it’s law of probability when you think about it.”
