Gyokeres' Arsenal debut is a disaster: A harsh welcome from the Premier League

Premier League “unmasks” Gyokeres

Viktor Gyokeres first came to English football with Brighton, where he did not have many opportunities to show himself and mainly played on loan in the Championship (Swansea, Coventry).

When he returned to the land of fog wearing the red shirt of Arsenal, all eyes were different. The Swedish striker, after a noisy summer with a deal worth more than 75 million euros, was expected to become the perfect piece to help Mikel Arteta conquer the Premier League .

However, the debut at Old Trafford went according to the scenario no one expected: 0 shots, only 4 accurate passes, won 3/13 duels and lost the ball 11 times.

Those numbers reveal the precariousness of a rookie struggling to find his place.

Against MU, the stage seemed to be prepared for Gyokeres. Starting in the opening round, at one of the biggest cathedrals in England, it should have been his chance to prove his worth.

But football is not a scripted game. What happened on the Old Trafford pitch was a series of missteps.

The Athletic gently called it “a difficult debut” , while The Times was more tepid: “It would be absurd to rush to dismiss a new signing after just one game, but Gyokeres had less of an impact in 60 minutes than Benjamin Sesko – who needed just 25 to make his mark for United” .

The comparison really hurts, because Sesko was Arsenal's top target throughout the transfer window, before turning to Old Trafford.

It was that contrast that made the former Sporting Lisbon striker's performance even more bland.

One side needed only a few minutes to shake the stands (Sesko), the other side left the field quietly after an hour of play without leaving a single shot.

Huge pressure

The concern is not only his finishing ability. The Swedish striker was expected to make up for his technical shortcomings with efficiency in front of goal.

To score, first of all, you have to dare to shoot. In the first 60 minutes, Gyokeres did not have a single shot, not even to try his luck.

The stats also revealed a stalemate: just four successful passes in nine attempts, 11 lost possession in 22 touches. Matthijs de Ligt completely “swallowed” him in one-on-one encounters.

Arsenal still won 1-0, but in fairness, it wasn't thanks to Gyokeres.

The attacking style of play was disjointed and lacked sharpness, leaving the rookie striker almost isolated.

After the match, Arteta still tried to defend his new student: "He did a lot of good things. We asked for high-intensity pressing and sometimes Viktor took too long to process. That's something that needs to be improved."

The Spanish coach justified: "In terms of finishing, he didn't have many chances. But winning the first match in Manchester is still a good start."

That comment, if understood in student language, is no different from a comment in a report card: "Need to try harder" .

Experts in England also expressed reservations. Gary Lineker, a familiar voice on television, shared: "It was a difficult start. He didn't have many opportunities, Arsenal didn't operate smoothly."

Lineker, one of the icons of English football, analyzed: “Arsenal were under form, but got 3 points, and that is what they are satisfied with. Gyokeres was substituted after more than an hour without touching the ball. With a striker, sometimes that happens…” .

However, this is just the beginning. The striker who scored 54 goals last season for Sporting Lisbon clearly cannot lose his instincts after just one match.

Adapting to the harsh environment of the Premier League, the huge pressure from transfer values and the scrutiny from the audience will be the biggest challenges that Gyokeres must overcome.

He doesn't need to immediately become the new Thierry Henry, but he certainly needs to prove he has the mettle to shoulder Arsenal's championship ambitions.

The Premier League is notoriously unforgiving, exposing the weaknesses of any star instantly. Gyokeres has just experienced that feeling.

The road ahead is still long, and the only thing Gyokeres can do is move forward, because as Arteta once said: “It's just the beginning” .

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/gyokeres-ra-mat-arsenal-tham-hoa-dung-dua-voi-ngoai-hang-anh-2433949.html