Credit: Imago/Getty/Arsenal FC

Chris Smith

Tue 19 August 2025 14:45, UK

Viktor Gyokeres has finally broken his silence following his Arsenal debut.

Stats show Viktor Gyokeres was let down by Arsenal teammates on debut vs Man United	Hugo Ekitike debut ranked against Viktor Gyokeres after dream Liverpool start at Anfield	Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher clash over Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres

The Sweden international made a much-anticipated move to the Emirates from Sporting CP this summer, finally giving Arsenal the centre-forward they’ve been craving.

Gyokeres was thrown straight into the starting line-up for Sunday’s trip to Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season.

The 27-year-old lasted an hour as Arsenal won 1-0 thanks to Riccardo Calafiori’s goal, but not everything went smoothly on his maiden outing.

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Gyokeres certainly helped occupy Man United‘s centre-backs at Old Trafford, while his runs into the channels created space for teammates and caused the opposition trouble.

However, the striker was largely ineffective where it really counted, failing to attempt a shot or create a chance, while having just three touches in the opposition box (FotMob).

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There has been plenty of talk about Gyokeres’ performance and what he can offer to Arsenal since the full-time whistle — with opinion divided on whether he’ll be a flop or if it’s too early to judge.

Gyokeres has finally sent a public message about his debut, posting an image of himself in action on Instagram.

“Proud moment to make my Premier League debut for this special club and to start the season with a win,” Gyokeres captioned his post.

The response from Arsenal supporters in the comments was overwhelmingly positive, with ‘my striker’ and ‘all of us believe in you 100%’ among the huge number of messages of support he’s received.

“You’ll start loving it soon, your goals are coming,” another fan wrote, accompanying his message with heart emojis.

There were some urging Gyokeres to keep his statements on the pitch, with one fan replying: “Introduce yourself with goals.”

One United fan even reminded the striker that he was ‘pocketed’ by Man United defender Matthijs de Ligt on Sunday.

But on the whole, Arsenal supporters remain optimistic that Gyokeres – whose post was liked by Arsenal teammates Gabriel, Leandro Trossard and Jurrien Timber – is the man to lead them to title glory.

Gyokeres was unstoppable for Sporting CP last season (Credit: Imago)

Football Insider verdict

Given how long it took for Arsenal to get the deal over the line, Gyokeres was always going to face immense pressure early in his time with the club.

Every move he makes and every goal he does or doesn’t score will be heavily scrutinised, with the expectation nothing less than him leading Arsenal to their first Premier League title since 2003/04.

With that in mind, Sunday was a little underwhelming, with Gyokeres not even coming close to scoring.

However, to judge him harshly after 60 minutes of action would be ridiculous.

The former Coventry City striker showed some glimpses of quality during the match and gave Arsenal more of a focal point against United’s centre-backs.

Meanwhile, the blame for his lack of output must be shared with his teammates, who left him isolated and failed to create any chances.

Ultimately, Arsenal and Gyokeres need time to become accustomed to each other, and only when he’s been afforded that can we start to make real judgements on his success.

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