Muted Arsenal Debut At Old Trafford For Gyökeres As Media Deliver Harsh Verdicts

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·18 août 2025

Muted Arsenal Debut At Old Trafford For Gyökeres As Media Deliver Harsh Verdicts

Viktor Gyökeres would have hoped to grab the headlines on Sunday against Manchester United, and he did, but not for all the right reasons.

For a player many expected to be an instant hit, his Premier League debut proved underwhelming. In 60 minutes on the pitch, he failed to register a single shot, managed just 21 touches, and posted a pass completion rate of only 44%.

Vidéos OneFootball

The statistics highlighted his struggles, and the English media did not sugar-coat his display, despite Arsenal securing a vital 1-0 win at Old Trafford.

What The Media Said

Nathan Salt of the Daily Mail wrote: “Worked hard and occasionally bullied Yoro with his strength, but an underwhelming debut.”

Matt Verri of the Evening Standard commented: “A couple of loose touches and no shots before being replaced on the hour. Struggled with hold-up play, leaving Arsenal without an out-ball.” He rated Gyökeres 5/10.

Tom Coley of Football London reflected: “In a game that was not lacking in narrative – especially when it came to the two strikers on show (or not, as it happened, with Benjamin Šeško left on the bench) – it was not the ideal start.”

Max Mathews of The Athletic added: “Did not do nearly enough on the ball despite charging around. Was jeered off by the United fans. A disappointing full debut.”

Viktor Gyokeres (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Still Time To Shine

Gyökeres may not have enjoyed the best of starts, but he was not the only striker to falter. Benjamin Šeško, who remained on the bench for United, also failed to make an impact. Arsenal as a team looked below their usual standards, and few players stood out on the day.

For Gyökeres, there is little doubt about his goalscoring pedigree. With 97 goals across the past two seasons, he has already proved his ability to find the net consistently. Rivals should not write him off, as Mikel Arteta will be eager to unlock the “goal-scoring monster” within him in the weeks to come.

What do you think Gooners? Was Gyökeres simply suffering first-day nerves, or do his struggles hint at a longer adaptation period?

Your thoughts welcome in the comments.

Daniel O

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