Former Manchester City star Joleon Lescott has cast major doubt on Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes, claiming striker Viktor Gyökeres simply isn’t good enough to fire them to glory.
Speaking to Sky Bet, Lescott didn’t hold back as he tore into the Swedish forward’s early-season form. “I would describe Viktor Gyökeres as ‘okay’. If you’re going to win the league, your striker can’t be okay, he has to be top,” he said.
Lescott added that Mikel Arteta might not have the firepower needed to dethrone Manchester City this season. “I don’t think Mikel Arteta can get Arsenal over the line in the Premier League,” he warned. “But in the Champions League, it’s different.”
Gyökeres has bagged just three goals in ten games since joining from Sporting CP, failing to score in eight of them. Not exactly title-winning form.
Lescott believes that while Arsenal’s squad depth and style could take them deep in Europe, consistency in the Premier League remains their Achilles’ heel. “With the way Arteta rotates and because of that big gap [before the knockout stages], no one knows what kind of form or fitness teams will be in. That suits Arsenal better than having to be consistently good every single week,” he said.
But not everyone agrees with Lescott’s damning verdict. Defender Cristhian Mosquera has been full of praise for Gyökeres, calling him a “beast” in training.
“From the first moment Arteta spoke to me, I had no doubts about joining Arsenal. There’s an incredible group of players. Gyökeres is a beast, an animal. Training with him helps defenders improve,” Mosquera said.
Still, with Arsenal gunning for silverware, the pressure is mounting. If Lescott’s right, Gyökeres will need to prove fast that he’s more than just “okay” or risk being the reason Arsenal falls short yet again.
