Arsenal Fans Give Viktor Gyokeres Verdict After Debut vs Tottenham

Following Viktor Gyokeres’ debut off the bench in Arsenal’s 1-0 preseason North London Derby loss to Tottenham Hotspur, supporters have voiced their opinions about the Swedish striker.

After weeks of talks between the two teams, Gyokeres moved from Sporting CP to the Gunners earlier this month in a £64 million transfer. He has adopted the club’s recognisable number 14 shirt, which was made famous by Thierry Henry, the all-time leading scorer.

In order to gain his first minutes as an Arsenal player, the Sweden international had to wait until the 77th minute. The world watched his non-competitive debut, and he is the number nine Mikel Arteta has long wanted.

Supporters Respond to Gyokeres’ Short Arsenal Debut
Concerns have been raised over the Swedish forward.

To thunderous cheers from onlookers inside Kai Tak Sports Park in Kowloon, Hong Kong, Gyokeres took Kai Havertz’s place. When a corner was sent towards him, he tried to make his mark quickly but failed to do so.

Only twice did the Swede get on the ball as Arteta’s team chased the game, but he did manage one crucial pass during his brief 14-minute cameo. The Gunners struggled with a lack of originality, which led to a lack of support for their new frontman.

One supporter expressed dissatisfaction with Gyokeres’ poor service and believes the former Sporting CP player will become irate if it becomes a recurring theme:

“If this same pattern of lack of service continues, Gyokeres might kill someone in this squad”

Another supporter likened the two-time Liga Portugal Golden Boot winner to Havertz and expressed fear that he would have trouble against low blocks:

“In the Arsenal system, Gyokeres is equal to Havertz. The system appears to be the problem. They lose all knowledge as soon as they sight low block.

Gyokeres’ skill with the ball accounts for a large portion of his goal-scoring ability, but if he was going to score, it was probably going to be a header. This was repeated by a supporter who questioned his colleagues’ crossing strategy in an attempt to locate him:

“They are putting in crosses thinking Gyokeres can score headers”

Pape Matar Sarr’s goal from the halfway line in the 45th minute, which took David Raya off guard, gave Tottenham the right to boast over their North London rivals. As players continued to get ready for the upcoming season, the derby lacked the typical energy and entertainment found in the Premier League.

Gyokeres only had 14 minutes of action, so it’s too soon to judge him, but he made an effort to have an effect. In preparation for his team’s season-opening matchup with Manchester United on August 17, he will face former boss Ruben Amorim.