We all love to make a prediction or two before the start of any Premier League season and when it comes to Arsenal, there’s so much to pass comment on.
With the Gunners running Man City and Liverpool so close for a few years now, the obvious prediction last summer was around if we’d win the league.
That remains to be seen, of course, but there were other topics up for discussion as well, one of which was the signing of a new striker.
In the end, Arsenal ended up splashing the cash on Viktor Gyokeres. But while everyone expected that to be the difference-maker for the Gunners, Jamie Carragher actually predicted the opposite and it’s come true.
Jamie Carragher predicted Kai Havertz would play ahead of Viktor Gyokeres
At the time of Carragher’s comments last summer, he wasn’t to know that it was going to be Gyokeres.
However, he made a bold call anyway in suggesting whoever was signed, would end up on the bench and still behind Kai Havertz.
And interestingly, that has indeed happened.
“I think…we all know Arsenal want a striker don’t we? Everyone says the striker is the answer to all their problems. I don’t think that striker will be the answer to all their problems,” Carragher commented.
“I think whoever it is, eventually in the season will end up being on the bench, and I think Kai Havertz will play in front of them.”
Gyokeres has been on the bench for Arsenal in three of the last four in the league and started the FA Cup final defeat at Southampton on the sidelines as well.
He did, however, start both legs against Sporting Lisbon in Europe, so he’s obviously very much valued by Mikel Arteta.
Is Bukayo Saka’s return from injury going to be the difference between winning and losing the Premier League title?
Indeed, his 18 goals in all competitions this season is a healthy return on his debut season in the top-flight.
As for Havertz, he has proven to be a good player but one who cannot be relied upon fitness wise. So, while Arteta does seem to prefer the German, Gyokeres has been the more robust of the two.
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