Arsenal fans debate Viktor Gyokeres ‘wrong choice’ claim amid Benjamin Sesko form

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Finding a top class striker is one of the hardest things to do in the footballing world, but both Arsenal and Manchester United made their play in that department this summer.

Arsenal have long been thought of as the second-best team in the Premier League, with many suggesting that had they signed a proper centre forward, the Gunners would have been able to clinch the title in the past couple of seasons.

Mikel Arteta finally looked to solve that issue with the signing of Viktor Gyokeres this summer. The £55m man has had a tough start to life in England, though, with criticism coming his way for everything from his struggles in front of goal to how often he touches his hair.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Sesko was the player Man United opted for. Red Devils legend Peter Schmeichel questioned Sesko’s arrival, but the Slovenian is now starting to hit his stride.

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Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres: Who is the better signing?

There are merits to both players. Gyokeres has scored more goals, while Sesko appears to be linking up with his teammates a little better and has slotted into United’s system slightly more seamlessly.

Over on Twitter/X, one Arsenal fan suggested the Gunners made the “wrong choice” in signing Gyokeres over Sesko after seeing the latter’s latest compilation footage from the weekend’s win over Brighton.

But, among the replies, plenty of Arsenal supporters have insisted that Gyokeres is actually the better fit for what Arteta is building.

One said: “I think Viktor’s style of play suits Arsenal better. Sesko’s style does not seem to be much different to Havertz. Arsenal needed a runner rather than another striker that likes to connect with the midfield.”

Another wrote: “Gyokeres has not been bad. Maybe not as explosive as we expected but he has definitely been better than Sesko.”

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Poll: Who is the better player?

A third simply added: “Backing my player. He works hard and did everything to join us. At least he was not as expensive as other choices.”

There are more than a few Arsenal supporters who admit they did want Sesko initially, but have since changed their mind. One said: “I wanted him over Gyokeres too but I really don’t think Gyokeres has been that bad.”

Another wrote: “Hard disagree. We paid much less and got much more work rate and mentality out of the player. Sesko may have a profile or skillset Gyokeres doesn’t, but Gyokeres has desire and willingness that Sesko doesn’t. And this is coming from someone who preferred Sesko in the summer.”

Meanwhile, one Gunners supporter suggested an adjustment period is needed for Gyokeres to work in Arteta’s team. “We haven’t played with a number nine like Gyokeres for years, of course it’s going to take time to adapt,” they said. “Plus he’s not got the service he needs, you can’t deny that.”

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What do the statistics tell us about Gyokeres and Sesko?

Some would say Gyokeres has been severely underrated since he joined Arsenal. The Swedish striker has five goals in 13 games. Sesko, meanwhile, has two goals and one assist in ten games. If we go on top line numbers alone, Gyokeres wins this contest.

However, it is worth noting that Sesko is marginally outperforming his xG (1.8) while Gyokeres is falling below his xG (5.5) at the moment.

Sesko also has a far better shots on target ratio, with 42.9% of his efforts hitting the mark compared to 37.9% for Gyokeres.

The Man United man also has Gyokeres beat when it comes to shot-creating actions per 90 (2.35 to Gyokeres’ 1.63) and goal-creating actions per 90 (0.36 to 0.18 for the Arsenal man).

At the end of the day, it’s all about actual contributions. It’s still early days, but if Gyokeres can keep delivering in front of goal, there’s little to complain about. But, Sesko certainly looks like he has massive potential based on his statistics.