Viktor Gyokeres has finally broken his silence after his disappointing debut for Arsenal against Manchester United.
Gyokeres, 27, is under immense pressure to immediately perform this season after being signed in a deal worth up to £63m this summer.
The former Brighton, Swansea and Coventry City striker has returned to English football after a hugely successful spell with Portuguese side Sporting CP, where he scored 97 goals in just 102 games.
Arsenal fans had hoped he would hit the ground running when he made his competitive debut for the club against United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
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But the Sweden international struggled to make an impact and was substituted for Kai Havertz midway through the second half, having failed to register a single shot - the first time he had blanked in a league game since April, 2023.
In the end his subdued performance didn't cost Arsenal as they claimed a 1-0 win, courtesy of a first-half goal from Riccardo Calafiori.
However, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane was particularly critical of Gyokeres after the match.
"He didn't look sharp. He had moments where he showed his physicality, but he wasn't clinical enough in the final third," said Keane.
Daniel Sturridge echoed Keane's comments, adding: "The Premier League is a different beast. He's coming from a league where he had more time and space, and today, he was rushed into decisions."
Micah Richards, however, backed Gyokeres to do well in the Premier League.
"He's got all the tools to succeed here, but it's clear he needs time to adjust," said Richards.
"Arsenal's system will suit him eventually, but today wasn't his day."
Viktor Gyokeres sends message to Arsenal fans after debut
Gyokeres kept himself off social media immediately after his debut but has now taken to Instagram to comment.
Despite receiving criticism for his individual performance, the striker remains in a positive mood. He posted two images of himself, alongside the caption: "Proud moment to make my Premier League debut for this special club and to start the season with a win."
Speaking after the victory over United, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta admitted his team failed to get the best out of Gyokeres but was hopeful for the future.
"Well he did a lot of things very good," said Arteta.
"You can tell especially in our high press and rhythm that we demand, that especially in the first half we were giving a bit too much time. It is something that we have to work on him, especially there.
"Then in the final action situation, he did not have that many chances to do that, because in the previous action, we had to play that last ball and the line was standing still with 40 metres to play.
"We did not manage to put the ball through to exploit his quality. But overall, coming away to Man United, winning your first game with Arsenal, is a good start."
Arsenal next face Leeds on Saturday in their first home game of the season before taking on title rivals Liverpool the following weekend.
Topics: Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal, Premier League, Football, Manchester United
Rory O'Callaghan