Troy Deeney: Viktor Gyokeres is no different to Danny Welbeck, he is nowhere near Erling Haaland or Harry Kane

Troy Deeney, a former Watford striker, has expressed his opinion that Viktor Gyokeres is more comparable to Danny Welbeck than elite strikers like Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. Deeney has not been impressed with Gyokeres since his high-profile transfer from Sporting Lisbon to Arsenal, despite the team's recent successes with him in the lineup.

Due to an injury to Kai Havertz, manager Mikel Arteta has been forced to start Gyokeres in nearly every game, and Arsenal has been winning matches with him contributing. However, Gyokeres' goal-scoring record has been modest, with only three Premier League goals to his name, one of which came from a penalty, and two additional goals scored in a Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid.

Deeney criticized the perception of Gyokeres as an elite striker, stating that he is not in the same bracket as Haaland or Kane and emphasizing that Gyokeres is not a "difference maker" for the team. He argued that Arsenal's performance relies more on players like Saka and the center-halves, and while Gyokeres is a good player who adds value, he does not elevate the team to a higher level.

Regarding Gyokeres' future goal output, Deeney expressed skepticism, noting that he does not expect Gyokeres to score more than other top forwards such as Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak, or Joao Pedro. He reiterated that Gyokeres is currently behind Welbeck in terms of standing and is unlikely to achieve a high goal tally similar to his previous season's 54 goals across all competitions.