Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko have both gotten off to difficult starts in their Premier League careers.
Arsenal whittled down their striker shortlist to Gyokeres and Sesko in the summer, before ultimately opting to pursue the former as the latter was deemed too expensive.
Andrea Berta agreed a £63 million deal with Sporting CP for the Swede, leaving Manchester United to spend an excessive £74 million on the Slovenian.
Neither number nine has hit the ground running, although the Gunners’ new centre-forward has arguably fared marginally better thus far.
Gyokeres struggled on his Arsenal debut against United at Old Trafford, before struggling again against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
However, sandwiched between these two matches was an encouraging performance against Leeds at the Emirates, in which the 27-year-old found the back of the net twice.
Meanwhile, Sesko is yet to start a Premier League game for United and drew a blank on his full debut against Grimsby in the League Cup.
In fact, the 22-year-old was only United’s tenth penalty taker in their shootout against the League Two side, a ploy from Ruben Amorim that has subsequently been criticised.
Asked to pick between the two players, former Red Devils striker Louis Saha chose Sesko.
“Okay. Next, Sesko versus Gyokeres,” Ayo Akinwolere asked Saha on the Athletic FC Podcast.
“Wow. You catch me,” Saha responded.
“Yeah, I’m going to go to Sesko. I like his style, and I think he excites me the way he played, and he’s not supported yet. So individually, I think Sesko is a better player.”
On the basis of what the two have produced thus far in English football, it’s difficult to say which player is currently better, although Gyokeres has shown more.
While Arsenal’s number 14 may not have been involved in games as much as Mikel Arteta would have liked, his movement in behind has caused teams problems.
It’s a matter of the Gunners’ players becoming more accustomed to the Sweden international’s style of play.
Meanwhile, Sesko has looked raw in his short cameo appearances in the Premier League thus far.
While Gyokeres looks as though he just needs to get on the same wavelength as his teammates to start impressing, the Slovenia international looks bereft of quality and may ultimately just not be ready to play at this level.
