Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott has suggested that Arsenal made a tactical error by pursuing Viktor Gyökeres last summer, naming two alternative forwards the club should have prioritized instead. Despite Gyökeres arriving from Sporting CP with a prolific reputation, the 27-year-old Swedish international has struggled to maintain his clinical form in the Premier League. While the striker has shown flashes of improvement since the turn of the year, his overall output has yet to satisfy a fanbase expecting a transformative impact in the title race.
Lescott argues that the Gunners overlooked superior options currently thriving at rival clubs, specifically pointing to Chelsea’s João Pedro and Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitiké. The pundit believes these players possess the elite profile necessary to lead a championship-winning attack, whereas he categorizes the current Arsenal number nine as merely “okay.” With Manchester City continuing to apply pressure at the top of the table, the debate surrounding Arsenal’s lack of a world-class finisher has intensified among analysts.
“I thought Viktor Gyokeres was brought in to start for Arsenal, play in all the big games,” Lescott told Sky Bet as quoted by Metro UK. “They brought in Gyokeres because they thought he was the best of the available strikers. It’s easy to say now that Arsenal should have gone for Hugo Ekitike. Joao Pedro is another striker I don’t know why Arsenal didn’t buy.”
The critique comes at a sensitive time for manager Mikel Arteta, who sanctioned the significant investment in Gyökeres to solve the team’s long-standing scoring issues. While João Pedro has become a focal point for Chelsea’s resurgence and Ekitiké has established himself as a reliable goalscorer at Anfield, Gyökeres continues to adapt to the physical demands of English football. Supporters remain divided on whether the Swede needs more time to settle or if the club indeed missed a golden opportunity to sign a more dynamic threat during the previous transfer window.
As the Gunners prepare for the final stretch of the 2025/26 campaign, the performance of their front line remains under the microscope. Lescott’s comments reflect a growing sentiment that Arsenal’s recruitment strategy may have prioritized availability over the specific “top-tier” quality required to dethrone Pep Guardiola’s side. Arteta must now hope that Gyökeres can silence his critics by delivering match-winning goals in the upcoming North London Derby and the decisive Champions League fixtures ahead.
