Gary Lineker's Viktor Gyokeres verdict as Arsenal pressure ramps up with agreement reached

View 2 Images

Gary Lineker and Micah Richards have delivered their verdict on Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres following the Swede's strike in Saturday's 2-0 win over Burnley . The 27-year-old found the net first against Scott Parker's side at Turf Moor, before Declan Rice sealed the Gunners' victory with a second goal before the break.

It marked Gyokeres' sixth goal for the north London outfit since his £64million summer switch from Sporting CP. The forward has largely failed to convince since arriving at Mikel Arteta's squad, drawing a blank in his previous five Premier League outings before breaking his duck against Burnley.

He did manage a double against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League , though Arsenal had already established a comfortable two-goal advantage by that stage.

And former Manchester City defender Richards and ex-Tottenham frontman Lineker shared their views on Gyokeres whilst dissecting Arsenal's most recent victory.

"The question is can Gyokeres make the difference in the big games?" Richards questioned on Monday's The Rest Is Football podcast.

"Right now he is doing well for the team in terms of stretching, but he is missing a lot of opportunities that could go against them at the end of the season, but Gyokeres needs to be the difference against the bigger teams and in the latter stages of the Champions League and when it get really difficult in the league."

Lineker accepts that Gyokeres must still demonstrate he can maintain his goalscoring form in the Premier League's biggest matches as Arsenal pursue their first title since 2004.

"I agree. It would have helped his confidence yesterday scoring," he said.

View 2 Images

"I know people will say it was just a tap in, but it doesn't matter. It does not matter. It is really important for strikers as I think he had gone five games without a goal in the Premier League. That would help him because when you go through those little patches you start to wonder a little bit.

"The criticism people would say, and I don't want to call him a flat track bully because that is unfair, but what he did in Portugal he didn't really score his goals against the top teams and so far his goals have been Burnley, Forest and Leeds.

"I take your point and I think he needs to do well in some of the big games, but I think he has had a reasonable start, but I think Alan pointed it out a week or so ago, he has given them something different.

"He likes to try and get behind defences, which makes defences drop a bit deeper, therefore you have more space for the likes of Declan Rice and the playmakers that Arsenal have.

"It is working at the moment, but I take your point he needs to do it in a Champions League (game) or a big game. I would say overall it has been a reasonable start, but nothing incredible. He's not Haaland clearly, but then again no one is. He's unique."

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.