Arsenal fans come to immediate Viktor Gyokeres verdict after seeing his first 14 minutes for the club
Viktor Gyokeres finally made his first Arsenal appearance in the Gunners' friendly against Spurs on Thursday - and fans have already made up their minds on the new man.
Gyokeres, 27, was finally unveiled as an Arsenal player last week after a summer-long transfer saga which hit several sticking points related to add-ons and bonuses between the Gunners and Sporting CP.
The 27-year-old, who scored 54 goals in 52 appearances for the Portuguese champions in 2024/25, agreed a transfer worth up to £73m and penned a five-year deal at Mikel Arteta’s side.
The Swede was given the iconic number 14 shirt upon his arrival, which was formerly worn by Arsenal’s leading goal scorer Thierry Henry.
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And despite the obvious comparisons put forward by fans and the media, Gyokeres was keen to stress that it was “not really” his “intention” to be compared to Henry.
"Especially here. I just want to do my own thing and show my qualities,” Gyokeres said. “Of course, he [Henry] was an amazing player, but different from me. I just want to try to do my own thing."
Meanwhile, head coach Arteta explained what the first thing he noticed about Gyokeres was when the duo met.
"I use the word conviction and that's the first thing that I noticed when I spoke to him," Arteta explained.
"Someone very determined, someone that was already really attached to the club the way he was talking about the club, the history and in this case Thierry and what the shirt represented. He straight away felt it, and when you feel it - go for it."
The Gunners have already made six signings this summer, with Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Noni Madueke and Gyokeres all completing moves.
On Thursday, Arsenal faced north London rivals Spurs in a friendly which took place in Hong Kong, with Gyokeres starting on the bench while Kai Havertz led the line in the Far East.
Spurs took the lead thanks to a Pape Matar Sarr wonder strike, leaving David Raya red-faced as the ball travelled over his head from distance. And Sarr's strike saw Spurs home with a 1-0 win in front of 47,000 fans. Gyokeres replaced Havertz on 76 minutes to the delight of several Arsenal fans who all made a similar point on social media.
One said: "I feel like anyone that rated or allowed themselves to be gaslighted on Havertz shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy Gyokeres, just exit the sport."
Another added: "Can't get Gyokeres in the game because Arsenal don't create chances in open play for their forwards. Same problem Havertz faces. Arteta looks inept."
A third claimed: "Good lesson to see that Gyokeres should be starting over Havertz, and that we badly need a LW."
A fourth explained: "Gyokeres should be starting WITHOUT FAIL. I don’t know how you can look at last season and still think Havertz should be your main guy - it has to be complete stubbornness from Arteta. He desperately wants the Havertz project to work."
Next up, the Gunners will face La Liga outfit Villarreal at the Emirates on August 6 before they take on Athletic Club on August 9.
Topics: Arsenal, Football, Mikel Arteta, Premier League, Sporting CP, Thierry Henry, Transfer News, Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz
Luke Davies