One Arsenal player was so good on matchday 25 that the BBC changed their rules to accommodate him in the Team of the Week.
Arsenal blew Regis Le Bris’s side away at the Emirates, recording a crucial 3-0 win over Sunderland to keep their lead at the top of the Premier League table intact.
Results elsewhere meant that the Gunners ended the matchweek six points clear at the summit, remaining well in control of the title race.
Arsenal’s win over Sunderland wasn’t overly pretty, but it was efficient, which is all that matters; however, one player’s class really did stand out.
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Troy Deeney made an exception to include Viktor Gyokeres in his Team of the Week
Viktor Gyokeres made all the difference when he came on from the bench in the 60th minute.
Six minutes after coming on, the Swede scored to take the game away from Sunderland, and in stoppage time, he netted a second.
It was a superb cameo from Arsenal’s summer signing, who even earned praise from Troy Deeney after the win.
Deeney named Gyokeres in his BBC Team of the Week, but had to change one of his own rules to do so.
The pundit usually stays away from naming substitutes in his Team of the Week, so he made an exception for Gyokeres.
“I don’t normally give subs the opportunity to start but Gyokeres to be fair came on at 60 minutes against Sunderland and scored two goals to get Arsenal over the line,” Deeney said.
“Strong from him. Maybe having Jesus and Havertz around is going to bring out the best from him from a competitive point of view. But it’s a fantastic day for him and a fantastic day for Arsenal.”
Gyokeres is so close to proving Troy Deeney wrong
Naming a sub in his Team of the Week wasn’t the only shock, as it’s common knowledge that Deeney isn’t a fan of Gyokeres.
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The pundit hasn’t stopped talking about the Swedish striker since he joined Arsenal, but he put his opinion aside to praise the 27-year-old’s impact against Sunderland.
It’s unsurprising that Gyokeres’ performance caught the former striker’s attention, as his goal tally is going up.
Deeney backed Joao Pedro to outscore Gyokeres in the Premier League this season, which so far, is correct, but now, the Arsenal star is only one goal behind the Chelsea man.
Gyokeres will be eager to keep his scoring streak going after scoring in consecutive Premier League fixtures for the first time, particularly with the Premier League title on the line.
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