Jamie Carragher Makes Brutal Viktor Gyokeres Claim After Arsenal Win - 'Shouldn't Be Starting'

Arsenal secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, December 30, snapping Villa's 11-game winning streak in the Premier League. Despite the thumping win, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher singled out striker Viktor Gyokeres as the night's sole negative, urging manager Mikel Arteta to drop the 27-year-old from the starting lineup.[1][2][3]

The Gunners dominated the second half after a goalless first period. Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring three minutes after the break, capitalizing on a defensive error, followed by Martin Zubimendi's goal four minutes later. Leandro Trossard sealed the contest with a strike 21 minutes from time, and substitute Gabriel Jesus, who replaced Gyokeres, added a fourth nine minutes later—his first goal in over a year. Ollie Watkins' 94th-minute consolation prevented a clean sheet.[1]

Gyokeres, Arsenal's reported £55 million summer signing, continued his struggles, managing just five goals in 17 Premier League appearances. Carragher was blunt in his post-match analysis: "The one negative out of tonight for Arsenal is that Gyokeres should not be starting, when they have players like this." He advocated for Jesus or Kai Havertz as the central striker, stating, "In a couple of games time, when Jesus is a bit more up to speed, he should be starting. He's a better player than Gyokeres—that's a fact."[1]

Carragher emphasized Gyokeres' lack of finesse and quality, suggesting Arsenal already possess superior options on the bench. "Him (Jesus) or Havertz as the central striker is a better player than Gyokeres. I think Arsenal need to improve on Gyokeres and they've got players that can in Jesus." His comments emphatically tell Arteta to bench the underperforming forward now that Jesus is returning to form.[1][2][3]

The win boosts Arsenal's title charge, but Carragher's critique highlights ongoing concerns in attack amid Gyokeres' underwhelming stint.

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