Viktor Gyokeres’ future Arsenal role sparked a debate between Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher as they disagreed over Mikel Arteta’s plans for the new forward in north London
Jamie Carragher shockingly claimed that Mikel Arteta will not use new signing Viktor Gyokeres in Arsenal’s biggest matches this season. The former Liverpool defender surprised his fellow pundit Gary Neville, who was firmly not in the same camp.
Gyokeres started Arsenal’s first game of the season against Manchester United and was on the pitch an hour before being replaced. The Sweden international struggled to get involved in the Gunners’ play and failed to register a shot during his time on the field, while Arsenal won at Old Trafford.
And reflecting on the impressive record Arteta’s side have built against their rivals — Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham — Carragher suggested that Gyokeres may not feature against such teams with Arsenal unbeaten in their last 22 matches against those teams. The Champions League winner does not believe Gyokeres will have a problem finding the net throughout the season but reckons Kai Havertz is too important to drop.
“If I’m being honest, I think they go back to Havertz in the biggest games, I think that will be the case,” said Carragher on Sky Sports. “I can see Gyokeres playing and scoring goals.”
Neville replied: “He can’t leave Gyokeres out of big games.” But Carragher quickly doubled down.
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“He can,” he said. “I think Havertz is too important a player for Mikel Arteta to be left out. I don’t see that happening at all.”
Neville proposed that both stars could play together. “Arsenal needed a centre forward and brought one in, I saw glimpses that made me think he’ll be a handful,” Neville said.
‘[Gabriel] Martinelli looks like he’s struggling, maybe getting Gyokeres and Havertz in together is something he has to try.”
Speaking after Arsenal’s win over United, Arteta admitted there was still work to do to integrate Gyokeres wholly into his side but was content with his start. “Well, he did a lot of things very good,” the Spaniard said
“You can tell, especially in our high-pressing rhythm that we demand that, especially in the first hour. Again, he took too much time. It’s something that we have to work on him, especially there.
“And then, yeah, finalising situation, he didn’t have that many chances to do that because, as I said, on the previous action, before we had to play that last ball that the line was standing still with 40 metres behind, we then managed to put the ball through to exploit his quality.
“But overall, I mean, coming away to Manchester United, winning your first game with Arsenal, it’s a good start.”
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