Arsenal's £63.5m Gamble Falters As Gyokeres Struggles In Debut

The highly anticipated £63.5 million signing arrived, but Viktor Gyokeres found his Arsenal introduction far from triumphant. In a 1-0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford, the striker received a significant dose of reality, failing to even test the United goalkeeper in a performance that offered little sign of the title-challenging threat the club hopes he will provide.

While Arsenal ultimately scraped a win, largely thanks to a Riccardo Calafiori header, Gyokeres was anonymous. The striker, whose last competitive match in England was over two years ago in the Championship play-off final, struggled visibly despite showing effort at times. He attempted to make an impact, chasing runs and looking to exploit spaces behind the Manchester United defence, but he was frequently denied service and ultimately only managed one shot on target.

His overall contribution was minimal, completing just four passes while losing ten duels against a United defence that wasn't particularly star-studded. Mikel Arteta faces a considerable task in convincing the former Sporting Lisbon man that he can be the focal point up front that was supposedly needed at Emirates Stadium.

Pre-season had suggested Gyokeres could handle the tempo, as shown in the wins against Athletic Bilbao, but that friendly environment provided little indication of the Premier League's demands. His limited involvement against United, coupled with a similarly unimpressive display from new signing Martin Zubimendi, suggests adaptation may take longer than anticipated.

Other areas of Arsenal's opening game also raised questions. Calafiori's goal, born from a new set-piece routine, was encouraging, but defensive vulnerabilities were evident, particularly on the left flank where Magalhaes looked exposed. Tactical adjustments, including potential changes to the starting XI for the upcoming fixture against Leeds, will be necessary if the team is to build momentum.

The £208 million spent on new recruits, while designed to bolster the squad, saw an uneven distribution of impact. While Gyokeres, Madueke, and Zubimendi require time to adapt, their current performances do little to quell anxieties about Arsenal's immediate title credentials.