Arsenal 'would've won league by now' with 'proper' Liverpool star and not Viktor Gyokeres

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SportFootballHugo EkitikeFormer Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole feels one Reds summer signing could have made all the difference in the title race this seasonArsenal would have won the Premier League title by now if they had Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike in their attack instead of Viktor Gyokeres, according to former Reds midfielder Joe Cole.The Gunners have seen what had looked to be an unassailable lead at the top of the table agonisingly whittled down in recent days. When they took on Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on April 11 they could have gone 12 points clear at the top, but just 11 days later they face being toppled off No.1 spot if Manchester City win at Burnley on Wednesday.For some, one of the reasons for that downfall has been the form of summer signing Gyokeres, who has only impressed in fits and starts during his first season with the Gunners following his £63.5m summer arrival from Sporting Lisbon.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!

All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageThe Swede has scored 18 goals in all competitions, with 12 of those coming in the Premier League, but his displays have often left a lot to be desired and led to suggestions that he doesn't suit Mikel Arteta's style of play.Ekitike, meanwhile, has been the most consistently impressive of Liverpool's summer signings since his arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer.The Frenchman has scored one goal fewer than Gyokeres, hitting 17 in his debut Reds season, but he has become a firm favourite on the Kop, establishing himself in Arne Slot's plans right up to last week's Champions League clash with his former club Paris Saint-Germain in which he sustained a devastating Achilles tendon injury which is expected to rule him out of much of the remainder of 2026.Liverpool remain hopeful that Ekitike will return to his top form once he has fully recovered and ex-Red Cole, who had much more celebrated spells with West Ham and Chelsea and won 56 caps for England, is a big fan of the Frenchman.When discussing Arsenal's weekend defeat at Manchester City, and the displays of Gyokeres who was left out of the starting XI at the Etihad Stadium, on The Dressing Room podcast, Cole said: “Gyokeres was the big signing."If Arsenal don’t win anything, they have got that signing wrong. You’re coming to the biggest game of the season and you’ve gone with two No10s, [Kai] Havertz and [Martin] Odegaard, and not with a number nine.“Havertz was brilliant, but let’s just imagine Ekitike was signed instead of Gyokeres.

I think Arsenal would have won the league by now. Ekitike is a proper player.”Gyokeres and the Gunners will hope to breathe some life into their faltering title bid when they hose Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.Choose Liverpool Echo as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Arsenal FCLiverpool FCHugo Ekitike