Rice rejects Merson reason why Arsenal could lose PL title race despite Bournemouth win | OneFootball

Arsenal legend Paul Merson insists that Viktor Gyokeres could still be the reason that the Gunners don’t win the Premier League title.

The Sweden international joined Arsenal in the summer transfer window from Portuguese side Sporting CP in a deal worth around £63.5m.

Gyokeres started for the 19th time in all competitions against Bournemouth on Saturday as Gabriel Magalhaes’s opener and a brace from Declan Rice secured all three points in a 3-2 win for the Gunners.

Premier League leaders Arsenal are now six points clear of second-placed Aston Villa in the table, although third-placed Manchester City will move within four points of the Gunners if they can win their game in hand against Chelsea on Sunday.

However, Merson still thinks their lack of a goalscoring striker could cost them the Premier League title once again, with Gyokeres scoring five goals in 18 league appearances.

Merson said on Sky Sports: “Up front. I don’t think Arsenal have a natural goalscorer. Gyokeres has come in and is supposed to be that player, but I don’t think he’s a natural goalscorer.

“He’s never tapping balls in, he’s not got a lot of goals, fullstop. When it gets down to those last eight games, and it gets so nervy, you might need that something out of nothing.

“They need a natural goalscorer, and I think the nearest they have is Gabriel Jesus. He goes with Gyokeres before him, and I think he’ll go with [Kai] Havertz before him when he comes back. That’s the one for me.”

But Rice actually thinks that Gyokeres will be essential if Arsenal are to win the Premier League as he is “one of the best strikers in the world”.

After the win over Bournemouth, Rice said of Gyokeres: “It’s tough for him, because he’s got two defenders on him all game, all over him.

“So he has to use his strength, he has to do all he can to help the team and with my first goal, without him making that run from Gabriel Martinelli’s flick and holding it, setting it off to Martin (Odegaard), that goal wouldn’t happen. That was a pivotal moment in the game for us to turn the game on its head.

“I see how hard he hits a ball, and when that space arrives for him and the ball’s arriving at his feet to score goals, he will 100 per cent score.

“But at the minute, defenders in the Premier League want to be able to stop Viktor Gyokeres, because he’s one of the best strikers in the world.

“Trust me, he’s doing unbelievably for us, and we wouldn’t be where we are without him.”