2 months ago
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Jamie Carragher has boldly suggested that Mikel Arteta won't be deploying new signing Viktor Gyokeres in Arsenal's most significant matches this season.
That would include Arsenal's Premier League title clashes with Liverpool. The first of those games will take place at Anfield on Sunday, August 31. Liverpool's trip to the Emirates this season is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, January 7.
Carragher's statement left fellow pundit Gary Neville surprised, as he held a completely different opinion. Gyokeres was in the starting eleven for Arsenal's season opener against Manchester United, but was substituted after an hour following a performance deemed "clumsy."
The Swedish international struggled to make an impact in the match and failed to take a single shot during his time on the pitch, despite Arsenal securing victory at Old Trafford due to a blunder from United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.
Reflecting on the impressive record Arteta's team has amassed against their high-profile rivals - Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham - Carragher hinted that Gyokeres might not feature against such teams, given Arsenal's 22-match unbeaten streak against them.
Carragher is confident that Gyokeres will have no problem scoring goals throughout the season, but believes Kai Havertz is too important to leave out.
"If I'm being honest, I think they go back to Havertz in the biggest games, I think that will be the case," Carragher said on Sky Sports. "I can see Gyokeres playing and scoring goals."
Neville countered: "He can't leave Gyokeres out of big games."
But Carragher stood his ground, adding: "He can. 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 the two stars could form a powerful partnership on the field. "Arsenal needed a center forward and brought one in, I saw glimpses that made me think he'll be a handful," he commented.
"[Gabriel] Martinelli looks like he's struggling, maybe getting Gyokeres and Havertz in together is something he has to try."
After Arsenal's triumph over United, Arteta admitted there was still work to be done to fully integrate Gyokeres into his team but was satisfied with his initial performance. "Well, he did a lot of things very good," the Spaniard remarked.
"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, finalizing 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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