Gary Lineker's Viktor Gyokeres Theory Challenged by Rio Ferdinand
All four of Viktor Gyokeres' Premier League goals have been against teams in the bottom five, which led some to label Arsenal’s £64 million signing as a "flat-track bully."
Gary Lineker recently commented that Gyokeres, 27, needs to score in more high-profile matches. Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Lineker said:
"I don't want to call him a flat-track bully, that's a bit unfair. The criticism that people perhaps would say is that what he did in Portugal, he didn't really score many goals against the top teams, and so far his goals have been against Burnley, Forest and Leeds. He needs to do it in some of the big games, but I think he's had a reasonable start."
Gyokeres scored his fourth Premier League goal during Arsenal's 2-0 win at Burnley, another bottom-five side, adding to his goals against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest. However, he has struggled to make an impact against top teams like Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United, often facing criticism for underwhelming performances.
Rio Ferdinand disagrees with Lineker’s view, suggesting that Gyokeres’ success against lower-ranked teams is valuable for Arsenal. Ferdinand argues that when Gyokeres keeps "bullying the rubbish and average teams," it aids Mikel Arteta’s side in their title ambitions.
Notably, the former Sporting Lisbon player, currently sidelined due to injury, scored twice against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, demonstrating his capability against strong opposition.
Summary
Rio Ferdinand refutes the label of "flat-track bully" for Viktor Gyokeres, emphasizing that his consistent scoring against lower-ranked teams significantly supports Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title.