Mikel Arteta has fired a warning shot to Arsenal’s Premier League rivals, insisting that Viktor Gyokeres can be a nightmare to defend towards if given any house.
The Swedish ahead, signed from Sporting CP this summer time for £64 million, opened his account for the Gunners in Saturday’s 3-0 pre-season win over Athletic Membership.
His first objective in Arsenal colors got here within the thirty fourth minute, when he rose to satisfy Martín Zubimendi’s cross and guided a header into the online.
Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz added to the scoreline, sealing a cushty victory that units Arsenal up properly for subsequent weekend’s Premier League opener towards Manchester United.
Gyokeres’ debut strike could have lifted strain from his shoulders, as expectations are excessive following his prolific spell in Portugal.
Followers are already hopeful that the 27-year-old can replicate his scoring exploits in English soccer, with Arteta making it clear simply how harmful the brand new arrival might be.
“Every part he does is on intuition,” defined the Arsenal boss. “That’s why he’s scored so many in the previous few seasons. It’s objectives, he’s a risk, he pins centre-backs and while you depart him with house 1v1 he’ll destroy you.”
Arsenal supporters obtained a glimpse of these qualities towards Athletic Membership. Gyokeres’ motion continually troubled the visiting defence, whereas his potential to hyperlink play allowed others to thrive.
The partnership with Saka, who offered the help for Havertz’s late objective, seemed notably promising.
The outcome capped off a optimistic pre-season for the Gunners, who seem sharp and prepared for aggressive motion.
Liverpool and Manchester Metropolis are broadly tipped to be Arsenal’s primary challengers within the title race, however Arteta has made it clear that his new striker can be a key weapon in making an attempt to outscore them.
With Manchester United visiting the Emirates subsequent weekend, all eyes can be on whether or not the Swede could make an instantaneous influence within the league. If his first objective is something to go by, it might be the beginning of a prolific marketing campaign in North London.
