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

Gary Lineker Faces Criticism Over Viktor Gyokeres' "Flat-Track Bully" Label

Viktor Gyokeres’ four Premier League goals so far have all come against teams in the bottom five, prompting some to label Arsenal’s £64 million signing a "flat-track bully."

Rio Ferdinand Rejects This Theory

Rio Ferdinand has strongly disagreed with this notion after Gary Lineker suggested Gyokeres needs to start scoring in “big games.” Gyokeres, 27, netted his fourth Premier League goal during Arsenal's 2-0 win over Burnley, a fellow bottom-five club.

The striker also scored against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, other low-ranking teams. However, against top clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United, Gyokeres failed to score and faced criticism for a lackluster overall display.

"I don't want to call him a flat-track bully, that's a bit unfair," said Lineker 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."

Ferdinand, however, believes that Gyokeres' success against average and weaker teams is valuable. He argues that if the striker keeps "bullying the rubbish and average teams," it will help manager Mikel Arteta's Arsenal contend for the Premier League title.

Notably, the ex-Sporting Lisbon forward, currently sidelined with injury, scored twice against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, demonstrating his potential against high-caliber opponents.

Summary

While Lineker calls for Gyokeres to prove himself in big matches, Ferdinand emphasizes the importance of consistency against all opponents for Arsenal’s title ambitions.

Author’s summary: Despite criticism about Viktor Gyokeres scoring mostly against weaker teams, his consistent performance remains a key asset for Arsenal’s title pursuit.

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The Mirror The Mirror — 2025-11-04

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