'So many weaknesses' - Michael Owen raises fresh doubts over Arsenal star

Michael Owen has identified the good and the bad in Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres (Picture: Getty)

Michael Owen has raised fresh doubts over Viktor Gyokeres and has questioned whether he is the right man to lead the Arsenal attack in the long-term.

The summer signing from Sporting Lisbon has taken time to adapt to the demands of English football and endured a difficult start to his Gunners career.

Adjusting to the tactical nuisances of Mikel Arteta ’s tactics had also proved problematic but increasingly the signs over the last few weeks have indicated the 27-year-old may have turned a significant corner.

A superbly taken brace against Tottenham in Sunday’s north London derby demolition suggested the Sweden international is growing in confidence.

Indeed, no top flight striker has scored more goals in all competitions since the turn of the year, but Owen remains unconvinced Gyokeres isn’t anything more than a short-term solution.

‘I like this lad in so many aspects but I think he’s got so many weaknesses as well,’ the former Liverpool and England centre forward told Premier League Productions.

‘To be Arsenal’s centre forward for the long-term, am I getting carried away about just one game? No I’m not, I still think the questions are out there.

@metrosportuk Will Spurs get relegated? 🫢 Following Arsenal’s 4-1 win against Tottenham in the North London Derby, @Jensen believes Spurs are the worst team in the Premier League right now, and he’s very much been impressed with Viktor Gyökeres after his two goals in the fixture. #arsenal #tottenham #northlondonderby #premierleague #gyokeres ♬ original sound – Metro Sport

‘What you cannot question with this lad is his work rate. He’s a fantastic runner, he times his runs well. He knows where the goal is, he arcs his runs well to stay onside and he is lethal in front of goal. He’s one of the very best finishers in the Premier League .

‘This year I think he’s top goalscorer in he Premier League, this calendar year. He’s coming into a bit of form just when they need him.’

With the Manchester City juggernaut building up a head of steam, if Arsenal are to be successful undoubtedly they will need Gyokeres to keep up his run of scoring form, particularly in light of the uncertainty over Kai Havertz’s durability.

Viktor Gyokeres scored twice in Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Tottenham (Picture: Getty)

‘They definitely do need him to be in form,’ added Owen’s fellow pundit, Ashley Young.

‘You’re going into the most vital part of the season now. When you’ve got City breathing down your necks you need your striker to be scoring goals.

‘If he’s scoring this many goals this year so far you want him keep building, keep that confidence, keep being in front of goal and finishing like the way he has.’

Gyokeres, meanwhile, believes Arsenal’s statement derby win was the ‘perfect response’ to silence the club’s critics.

Viktor Gyokeres has scored 10 Premier League goals this season (Picture: Getty)

Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze both scored twice to secure a 4-1 triumph just four days after Arsenal were rocked by a 2-2 draw at Wolves.

The dropped points at Molineux led to questions about Arsenal’s title mentality. However, their performance against Tottenham – which took them five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League – went some way to silencing the doubters.

Gyokeres said: ‘t’s always going to be difficult when you get a result like we had at Wolves, but it’s how you handle that, and how you respond to it, and today we showed that it in a good way.