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This article is part of Football FanCast's Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers...

Darren Bent has praised Roberto Firmino but believes he falls just short of another Premier League striker, Harry Kane.

What did he say?

Firmino has started the season in fine form, and along with the two goals and three assists he has picked up in the Premier League, he also wowed many with his display of trickery against Newcastle.

His all-round play makes him a valuable asset to the Liverpool attack, often combining with Sadio Mane and Mo Salah to score goals, with the latter's goal against the Magpies a fine example of that.

Bent praised the ability of Liverpool's number nine, but believes England's captain offers more on the goal front, and his record highlights that fact.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: "I was having this debate the other day – who was better, Harry Kane or Firmino – and as an out-and-out centre forward, I said Kane.

“Firmino is the one that holds it all together. When he’s on that pitch, Mane and Salah seem to come to life. Firmino comes to feet a lot which attracts defenders, if they don’t come he turns, nice weight of pass.

“For me right now, he is the most complete striker in the Premier League. I like Harry Kane, I think Harry Kane, for me, is the best but Firmino is just changing lives out there. He’s so vital to that front three, when he’s not there you really, really notice it.”

Lack of goals?

The Brazilian is one of the most complete strikers in the league currently, Bent attested to as much, but his lack of goals means he can't be considered as a successful centre-forward in the same vein as Kane.

Kane is a natural finisher and the fact he has scored 24 goals or more in each of his previous five seasons means he is up there with the best in the Premier League.

Firmino, by contrast, has scored 68 goals in 200 games for Liverpool, albeit some games he played in a deeper role. That shows it is an area he needs to work on, and until he improves in that department he will not be recognised alongside the likes of Kane and Sergio Aguero.

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If he can score as regularly as his club forward partners then that could change.

Bent is accurate in his overall assessment of the player who is gifted in a variety of areas, as his record of assists and average of 1.4 key passes per game this term shows, but a failure to match Kane's goals means he can't be considered as good a striker as the Spurs man is - yet.