Gary Lineker gets his brutal Viktor Gyokeres theory torn apart by Rio Ferdinand

Gary Lineker’s Theory on Viktor Gyokeres Challenged by Rio Ferdinand

Gary Lineker suggested that Arsenal's £64 million striker Viktor Gyokeres needs to score in bigger matches, implying the Swedish forward is a "flat-track bully." All four of Gyokeres' Premier League goals this season have come against teams in the bottom five.

Gyokeres’ Performance Overview

Gyokeres, 27, scored his fourth league goal in Arsenal’s 2-0 win at Burnley—one of the teams near the bottom of the table. His other goals came against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, both also struggling sides. Despite this, he has yet to score against top-tier teams like Liverpool, Manchester City, or Manchester United and has faced criticism for a lackluster overall display in those matches.

"I don't want to call him a flat-track bully, that's a bit unfair," Lineker stated on The Rest Is Football. "The criticism that people perhaps would say is that what he did in Portugal, he didn't really score many goals against the top teams, and so far his goals have been against Burnley, Forest and Leeds. He needs to do it in some of the big games, but I think he's had a reasonable start."

Rio Ferdinand’s Counterpoint

Rio Ferdinand disagrees, arguing that Gyokeres’ ability to decisively score against weaker teams is valuable for Arsenal’s title ambitions. He emphasizes the importance of consistently performing against all opposition, stating that dominating lesser teams is a key factor in winning the league.

Notably, Gyokeres also demonstrated his quality on the European stage by scoring twice against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, though he is currently sidelined due to injury.

Summary

While Lineker calls for Gyokeres to prove himself in high-profile matches, Ferdinand highlights the striker’s impact in securing crucial wins against lower-ranked opponents as vital for Arsenal’s success.

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The Mirror The Mirror — 2025-11-04

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