BonusCodeBets had an opportunity to speak with Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn and the former player gave us his reaction to Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool at The Emirates on Sunday. This saw them drop five points behind league leaders Manchester City. Winterburn also shared his views on Jamie Carragher comparing Mikel Arteta to Jose Mourinho as well as rumours linking Arsenal with a move for Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyökeres.
In this article:
- Arsenal should look at Liverpool draw as a point gained
- Arteta should see Mourinho comparisons as a compliment
- Arsenal target Viktor Gyökeres is a terrific striker
Arsenal Should Look At Liverpool Draw As A Point Gained
Arsenal went into their clash against title rivals Liverpool with plenty of concerns due to injuries and suspensions. Yet, it could be argued Arsenal emerged from the clash relatively unscathed at least from a results perspective. A 2-2 draw in some quarters will be seen as points dropped, considering Arsenal were leading the game before Mohamed Salah’s equaliser late in the second half. Winterburn spoke about the game and suggested that whilst Arsenal will be disappointed to have dropped points, they will be pleased considering the mitigating circumstances.
“When you play at home and you look at the run that Arsenal have been on in the last couple of seasons, there was a lot of nervousness around who would be in the starting team for Arsenal but they managed to have Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka in.”
“Being 1-0 up and 2-1 up they will be disappointed that they didn’t manage to go on to take three points but for me you have to look at the fact they lost Gabriel who has been a main player this season. Timber went off injured or with cramp and that put a lot of pressure on the back four who had never worked together against an in-form team.”
Arsenal ended the game with a back four that would have never played a competitive game together after Gabriel left the game injured whilst academy talent Myles Lewis-Skelly was brought in at left back to take on an in-form Salah. Whilst there will be disappointment in the Arsenal ranks, Winterburn feels it’s a result that will be more fondly looked upon later on in the season.
“Do I think Arsenal would have conceded the second goal had Gabriel, Saliba and Timber been playing? Probably not. I Thought Ben White played well too but I’ve never seen anything like it for Arsenal where they have so many players missing in an area where they are very strong. They are having to dig in deep to get players in and young players too.”
“The likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly who is a young midfield player being converted into a left back when he’s been with the first team. Kiwior also hasn’t played much so they were up against a good team in Liverpool. There will be some disappointment for now, but I think they will look back on the result and how they had to adapt, and there will be positivity about the way we performed. Maybe not the result.”
Arteta Should See Mourinho Comparisons As A Compliment
One of the interesting post match comments came from Sky Pundit Jamie Carragher, who likened Mikel Arteta to managerial great Jose Mourinho. Mourinho made a reputation for having strong and resolute defensive sides. Arteta has gained plaudits and criticism alike for a more pragmatic approach in recent seasons and Winterburn doesn’t feel the comparisons are apt due to the flair in the rendition of Arteta’s Arsenal side.
“Let’s look at this season and be fair. At times, Arsenal have had to dig in and pull out some results in a way they wouldn’t have wanted to play. Especially when you’ve got Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli in your team. You don’t want to have to soak up too much pressure but they’ve shown a willingness to do that at times. Mourinho’s teams were great at soaking pressure, but I think this Arsenal team has enough flair about it to go on and win a lot of games.
Winterburn goes on to say that even though he doesn’t agree with Carragher’s stance, it should be seen as a compliment and a testament to how far this Arsenal team have come.
“I would take the Jose Mourinho comment as a compliment to be honest. He’s a serial winner but I wouldn’t say their styles are completely similar. A game of football is about winning and yes we all want to play free flowing football but when things are going wrong fans want players to dig in otherwise they’d be deemed as soft.”
“Arteta has been doing a great job at Arsenal and he’s restored a feeling back to the club. They’ve just got to go on and produce silverware pretty quickly. It’s been a different environment at Arsenal in the last few years.”
Arsenal Target Viktor Gyökeres Is A Terrific Striker
Meanwhile, widely coveted striker Viktor Gyökeres, who has scored 14 goals and provided 4 assists in 14 games this season, is a striker in huge demand. Yet, Arsenal’s very own Kai Havertz has found the back of the net this season with a regularity that hadn’t been expected. Winterburn has been impressed with Havertz but feels all teams and managers will be looking for a top striker when one comes around.
“I think Kai Havertz has done a great job. There is no doubt about that, even though a lot of people were doubting him when he first came. He is intelligent and has got good movement. He brings a lot to this Arsenal team.”
“But I think any manager is always looking for a goalscorer, someone who is going to guarantee you 25 league goals a season.”
“I saw a lot of Gyökeres’ matches when he was at Coventry. He’s got good talent and it looks like he has stepped up another level. He is managing almost a goal per game at Sporting Lisbon, which is absolutely ridiculous “
Arsenal and the rest of Europe’s big guns have also been linked with a move for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran. He has not stopped scoring this season and has been rewarded with a new deal at the club. Winterburn believes that Gyökeres is a top talent and appears to be more buoyant for a move for the Swedish striker, and he also feels like Duran will be a tough ask to prise away from Villa Park.
“I think any striker who has that sort of form, clubs will look at you. He is a terrific talent, who has improved since he left Coventry because he is working with better players. The stats tell us that he is a top striker at this moment in time.”
“In terms of Jhon Duran, I don’t see him leaving. I think it would require a huge offer and I don’t see it happening. He is trying to push Ollie Watkins out and it’s a great battle to have.”
