Underwhelming Viktor Gyokeres debut shows why Arsenal need him so much | OneFootball

A debut defeat and an outing that was underwhelming but left the sense he was underused may matter little. When it comes to competitive games, Viktor Gyokeres’s Arsenal bow will come at Old Trafford against Manchester United on 17 August. But as he donned their No 14 shirt for the first time in a game, Arsenal at least showed the need for Gyokeres, the forward who scored 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting CP.

The first north London derby staged outside the United Kingdom yielded a 1-0 loss to Tottenham, with Arsenal registering a lone shot on target, which Kai Havertz directed at Guglielmo Vicario. Gyokeres was limited to the last 20 minutes, including stoppage time, as Arsenal were largely toothless. The argument that they needed a specialist goalscorer is scarcely new, but perhaps it was underlined when they spent an initial £55m to acquire one.

Arsenal had been waiting for Gyokeres: for a year, some might say, given the desire of many fans to buy a professional predator last summer. For weeks, definitely, given the hope they would have sprung into action the instant the transfer window opened, rather than signing him on 26 July. They had to wait a further 77 minutes, Mikel Arteta waiting before bringing on the buy who – one way or another – is likely to define the summer spending spree. He got a rapturous reception from the Hong Kong public, who may have envisaged seeing him sooner. “It was a short one, but at least that one is over now,” said Arteta. He had brought on Gyokeres along with a lower-profile recruit, in defender Cristhian Mosquera, and added: “I’m really happy to have them here. I think they are going to add a lot of value. You see straight away the energy and the quality they are going to bring.”

Arteta had started with Havertz, just as the German has represented plan A for much of his two seasons at the Emirates Stadium. A sign that Havertz is the man in possession or simply that, with Gyokeres only linking up with his new teammates this week and having just one full training session, he is the fitter, the better prepared. But Arsenal drew a blank. They did too often last season. In his 20 minutes, the arrival from Sporting CP was a presence in the penalty box, albeit one Arsenal struggled to pick out.

Gyokeres’s best touch was to set up Martin Zubimendi for the second of his long-range shots; the first, landing on the roof of the net seconds after his arrival, was the more threatening. The Spaniard was not supposed to be the summer signing who delivered the goal threat. Arsenal may hope there is a role reversal in more meaningful matches, the defensive midfielder passing to the centre-forward. When Gyokeres joined, he got a welcoming letter from Martin Odegaard, offering to do anything he could to help the newcomer settle. Some assists would be appreciated, the Swede smiled.

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Viktor Gyokeres failed to set the world alight in a short debut cameo for Arsenal (Getty)

Odegaard was at least on the pitch during Gyokeres’s cameo. He may not expect to spend his time on the pitch being flanked by Reiss Nelson and Max Dowman. The 15-year-old at least sparkled in his own substitute appearance. He looks a precocious talent, whereas Gyokeres, at 27, was bought to be the finished article.

He was given the ultimate Arsenal goalscorer’s shirt, the 14 made special by Thierry Henry. Perhaps his first goal in it will come at the Emirates Stadium: Arsenal have further friendlies against Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao on home soil. Arteta promised Gyokeres a longer outing then. He also said that Leandro Trossard, who came off 17 minutes after being introduced as a second-half substitute, tweaked a muscle and would be assessed, but that Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes, who did not feature, should be fit for the start of the Premier League season.

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Gyokeres handles the ball during the pre-season friendly with Spurs (Getty)

In their absence, Arsenal ended their Asian tour on a relative low. After beating AC Milan and Newcastle, they lost to Thomas Frank’s Tottenham. It amounted to an encouraging outing for the new manager. Even before Spurs scored, Pedro Porro and Wilson Odobert struck the same post, the full-back with a corner, the winger with a low shot.

They won courtesy of a spectacular goal, Pape Matar Sarr chipping David Raya from 50 yards after Myles Lewis-Skelly had lost the ball. The goalkeeper’s presence nearer the halfway line than his own box was because of his role in the buildup, but it was not the only time Raya’s positioning felt faulty. Arsenal will trust that, when the serious business starts, Gyokeres will be found in the right place at the right time, and that it leads to goals.