Rio Ferdinand and Gary Lineker Debate Viktor Gyokeres' Arsenal Performance
Viktor Gyokeres scored his fourth Premier League goal of the season on Saturday, contributing to Arsenal's comfortable 2-0 away victory over Burnley, a team positioned in the league's bottom five. Despite this, Rio Ferdinand dismissed claims that Gyokeres is a "flat-track bully," a criticism revived after Gary Lineker suggested the striker must prove himself in bigger matches.
Gyokeres' Scoring Record and Criticism
The 27-year-old Swedish forward has found the net against Burnley, Leeds United, and Nottingham Forest, all clubs struggling near the bottom of the Premier League table. However, Gyokeres failed to score in matches against top-tier teams such as Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United. This discrepancy has led some to label him a "flat-track bully," a term previously used during his time at Sporting Lisbon, where he impressively scored 97 goals in 102 appearances.
Gary Lineker's Perspective
"I don't want to call him a flat-track bully, that's a bit unfair," Lineker said on The Rest Is Football. "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."
Rio Ferdinand's Response
Ferdinand rejected the "flat-track bully" label, implying the criticism overlooks Gyokeres' overall contribution and potential.
Summary
Gyokeres' early Premier League goals have come mostly against lower-ranked teams, prompting debate about his ability to perform in top matches; opinions differ on whether this undermines his talent or reflects a natural adjustment period.
Author’s Note
Viktor Gyokeres shows promise but must now prove his scoring prowess against leading teams to silence doubts about his impact at Arsenal.
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