At a Glance:
- Troy Deeney believes Viktor Gyokeres was never Arsenal’s dream striker.
- Deeney compared Gyokeres to a Championship striker after facing him.
- Gyokeres was benched against Manchester City.
Former Watford striker and now-pundit Troy Deeney believes that Arsenal did not intend to sign Viktor Gyokeres in the first place.
Gyokeres was benched against Manchester City, with Mikel Arteta opting for Kai Havertz as his starting number nine in the Gunners’ most important game of the season.
The Swedish international watched the game from the sidelines until Arteta brought him on as a substitute in the 84th minute.
The Portuguese media have slammed Gyokeres since his move to Arsenal, noticing the sizable dip in his performances.
Troy Deeney says Arsenal never planned to sign Viktor Gyokeres
Troy Deeney featured on the podcast, Filthy Fellas where he was quizzed about his thoughts on Mikel Arteta choosing to start Gyokeres on the bench against Manchester City.
The decision has split opinion among many, with Wayne Rooney questioning Arteta for not starting the former Coventry City marksman.
Gyokeres struggled against Sporting in his previous outing, which may have forced the Spaniard’s hand ahead of Sunday’s clash. However, Troy Deeney believes the striker was never wanted by Arsenal anyway.
Deeney said: “Called that! Don’t you remember earlier in the season I called that?”
“You brought this guy in that you didn’t actually want. Remember I told you that. You know when you want a player, you don’t sign him seven, you sign him first. Remember that. Why would you get a backup goalie before him? Why did you get [Martin] Zubimendi before him?”
Troy Deeney compares Viktor Gyokeres to Championship striker after facing him
Gyokeres is adapting to Arsenal’s philosophy and naturally, it will take him to bed into his surroundings.
However, it is also key to state that the Gunners must win silverware this campaign after failing to do so since their FA Cup triumph in 2020. As a result, Arsenal’s interest in Julian Alvarez comes as no surprise as he would likely be a sure-short hit if he returned to the Premier League.
Troy Deeney played against Gyokeres when he was at Coventry. Deeney claimed his rise in Portugal reminded him of when Derby County’s Ben Brereton Diaz struck 22 goals in the 2021/2022 EFL Championship season for Blackburn Rovers.
| Ben Brereton Diaz: 2021/2022 season | EFL Championship Stats |
| Starts | 34 |
| Goals | 22 |
| Assists | 3 |
“This is what I said at the start of the season because again, people think I’m some was hater and remember, I played against this guy when he was at Coventry.”
“And it gave me the same seasonal vibe as Ben Brereton Diaz, when Brereton Diaz had that mad season and everyone was like, ‘Oh my God, he’s going to smash the Premier League. I’m like woah, woah, woah, relax.’ He’s having seven, eight shots per game, it’s just one of them moments when things are falling into his lap.”
Deeney concluded: “There’s certain times when you play against players, especially in the Championship that come from Premier League teams and you’re like, ‘Oh, that person’s going to be the guy.’ That never happened with Gyokeres.”
