Arteta expresses confidence in Viktor Gyokeres
Arsenal’s latest signing, Viktor Gyokeres, made his debut in a 1-0 pre-season defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Still, manager Mikel Arteta remains confident that the Swedish striker will soon hit the ground running.
The Gunners fell to their bitter North London rivals in Hong Kong, with Pape Sarr scoring the only goal of the match, a spectacular long-range strike from near the halfway line.
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Gyokeres was introduced in the 77th minute, registering just two touches in a brief cameo that offered little room to shine.
What Arteta said
Speaking after the match, Arteta remained positive about the striker's impact moving forward.
He said, “Really happy obviously to have [debutants Gyokeres and Cristhian Mosquera] here, I think they're going to have a lot of value. You see this right away, as well as the energy and the quality that they're going to bring. It was a short one but at least that one is off now and when they play against Villarreal now, I'm sure it will be a bit different.”
Despite the defeat, Arsenal fans will be encouraged by Arteta’s confidence in his new-look squad as the Gunners gear up for the 2025/26 season.
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Gyokeres will have more chances to impress with friendlies against Villarreal and Athletic Club.
The 26-year-old joined Arsenal from Sporting CP in a blockbuster £63.5 million ($84m) transfer following a tense negotiation saga that saw the striker push for a move away from Portugal.
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Arsenal open their Premier League campaign with a high-stakes clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford on August 17.
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