Arteta Backs £64m Striker Gyokeres Despite Tough Arsenal Debut Against Villarreal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has thrown his support behind new striker Viktor Gyokeres following a challenging debut at the Emirates Stadium. The Swedish forward, signed from Sporting Lisbon for £64 million, made his first full appearance for the Gunners in a 3-2 loss to Villarreal on Wednesday.
The high-profile signing was brought in to solve Arsenal’s long-standing No. 9 dilemma ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League season. The club hopes Gyokeres will provide the final spark needed to challenge for major honours this term.
Though yet to find the back of the net in Arsenal colours, Arteta insists the 26-year-old is settling in well with the team. Speaking after the match, the manager praised Gyokeres’ positioning, movement, and attitude.
“It was very important for him to start a match and start to have the feeling and the connection with the team,” Arteta said during his post-match interview.
“He’s been with us only a week or so, but I already saw a lot of things and a lot of purpose — especially the way he was attacking in certain spaces.”
The Villarreal fixture marked another pre-season test as Arteta continues to prepare his squad for their Premier League opener against Manchester United. Despite the defeat, the manager emphasized that several players, including Gyokeres, gained much-needed match fitness.
“For a lot of players that haven’t played many minutes, this game helped. Now they’ll be ready for Saturday in a much better condition,” Arteta added.
Arsenal fans remain hopeful that Gyokeres, who impressed in the Portuguese league last season, will soon find his scoring touch in North London. With one more friendly to go before the league campaign begins, the striker has a final opportunity to make his mark before the real action starts.
