Viktor Gyokeres breaks silence following underwhelming Arsenal debut against Manchester United.
Viktor Gyokeres, 27, is already under heavy scrutiny to deliver instant results this season after completing a £63m move to Arsenal in the summer.
The Swedish striker, who previously played for Brighton, Swansea, and Coventry before excelling at Sporting CP with an astonishing 97 goals in 102 appearances, returned to English football with big expectations. Supporters hoped he would make an immediate impact in his competitive debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Instead, Gyokeres endured a quiet afternoon, failing to register a single shot before being replaced by Kai Havertz midway through the second half — his first blank in a league game since April 2023. Fortunately for Arsenal, Riccardo Calafiori’s first-half header secured a 1-0 victory.
After the game, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane delivered a harsh verdict on Gyokeres’ display. The striker initially stayed silent but has since broken his silence on Instagram, posting: “Proud moment to make my Premier League debut for this special club and to start the season with a win.”
Mikel Arteta defended his new signing, acknowledging that Arsenal still need to adapt to bring out the best in him:
“He did a lot of things really well,” Arteta said. “Especially in our pressing and intensity, though at times we allowed United too much space. We need to work on providing him with the right service, because in attacking moments we didn’t give him enough opportunities to exploit his strengths. Overall, to win at Old Trafford in your first game is a very good start.”
Arsenal now turn their attention to Leeds on Saturday in their first home fixture of the campaign, before a huge clash with Liverpool the following weekend.
