Former England striker and prominent football pundit Gary Lineker has delivered a stark assessment of the Premier League title battle, suggesting Manchester City's Erling Haaland operates in a 'different league' to Arsenal's summer signing Viktor Gyokeres.
Haaland's Prolific Form Tipped as Title Decider
Lineker's comments came as the title race tightened ahead of Christmas, with Manchester City sitting second, just two points behind leaders Arsenal. The Norwegian forward underlined his importance with a brace in City's 3-0 win over West Ham on Saturday, December 22, 2025, taking his league tally to a remarkable 19 goals in just 17 games this season.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker highlighted Haaland's incredible scoring record, which includes 38 goals in all competitions for Norway this year. "It's incredible what he's doing," Lineker said. "I mean, he could ultimately be the difference between Man City and Arsenal this season."
Gyokeres Struggling to Match Arsenal Investment
The comparison was drawn with Arsenal's £64 million striker Viktor Gyokeres, who was signed from Sporting CP in the summer. The Swedish international had a sensational record in Portugal, scoring 97 goals in 102 appearances, but has found the transition to English football tougher.
To date, Gyokeres has netted seven times in 20 games for the Gunners. He did score the winning penalty in a hard-fought victory over Everton on Saturday, but Lineker was clear in his evaluation. "I look at him and I don't want to be rude but he's not in the same league as Haaland," the pundit stated, acknowledging the penalty was a chance to boost the striker's confidence after a recent injury.
A Two-Horse Race as Villa's Challenge Dismissed
Lineker also shaped the wider title picture, effectively ruling out other challengers. Despite Aston Villa's impressive run of ten consecutive wins under Unai Emery, the pundit believes the race is now between the top two.
"I think we're looking at Arsenal and Man City now," he said. "Liverpool are probably too far back, Chelsea too. Both Arsenal and Man City are well clear of those two which means they won't be able to make that up."
He did note that City might still be "vulnerable at the back and on the counter," but highlighted the impending return of Rodri from injury as a potential major boost for Pep Guardiola's side as they chase down the Gunners in the second half of the season.
