Troy Deeney has accused Mikel Arteta of being less than honest in his assessment of Viktor Gyökeres’ display after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday.
Gabriel Martinelli rescued a point for the Gunners with a late equaliser, but the result leaves Arteta’s side five points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Deeney, speaking on talkSPORT, argued that Gyökeres’ lacklustre showing was one of the main reasons Arsenal struggled to break City down — and claimed Arteta’s post-match praise for the striker was misleading.
“I understand the manager has to give the striker confidence, but he just described Gyökeres as having a strong performance,” Deeney said.
“When Erik ten Hag was at Manchester United, he used to lie and say they played well.
“We watched the game — we’ve seen it. As an ex-striker, I’m always going to look at the forwards. How can you say he had a strong performance?”
The £75million summer signing endured a frustrating afternoon, registering just 24 touches — the fewest of any outfield player — with no shots, no dribbles completed, and a passing accuracy of just 62 per cent.
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Troy Deeney has accused Mikel Arteta of being less than honest in his assessment of Viktor Gyökeres’ display after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday
|GETTY
He also lost possession 13 times.
Worryingly for Arsenal, Gyökeres is yet to score against a side in the top half of the table, with all three of his league goals coming against struggling opposition.
Arteta, however, stood by his striker, insisting that the service into the box had been insufficient.
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Viktor Gyökeres struggled during Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday
|REUTERS
“There were a lot of very good balls in the box, especially three that he was very close to finishing,” the Arsenal boss said.
“To have very big open chances against City is extremely difficult, but he’s trying his best.
“We have to provide more for him, that’s it. The final pass was missing today in a lot of situations.”
Arsenal dominated possession and created twice as many shots as City but managed just three efforts on target.
Pep Guardiola’s side struck early through Erling Haaland, then sat deep and frustrated the Gunners with a disciplined defensive display.
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Gabriel Martinelli scored a dramatic late goal for Arsenal against Manchester City on Sunday to earn a draw for Mikel Arteta's team
| GETTYThe stalemate has once again raised questions about Arsenal’s mentality in title-defining matches.
Declan Rice claimed it was “the most dominant we’ve been against City,” but critics argue that Arteta’s side seemed content with a draw rather than going all-out for a winner.
That perception was reinforced when Martinelli and several team-mates celebrated the equaliser for more than a minute rather than quickly restarting play. Liverpool, by contrast, have made a habit of chasing late winners this season, helping them to a perfect record of six wins from six across all competitions.
With Liverpool setting the pace, Arteta faces renewed scrutiny over whether his side can finally break through and end a 22-year wait for the title — and whether Gyökeres can deliver the goals to make it happen.