At Old Trafford on 17/8, Gyokeres started but failed to make an impact. The Swedish striker had 22 touches, completed 4 passes, but lost possession 11 times, made no successful dribbles, and didn't manage a single shot. He was substituted in the 60th minute for Kai Havertz. Sofacsore gave Gyokeres a rating of 6, the lowest among Arsenal players.

"It was poor," Pardew said on talkSPORT. "I'm a fan of his, but today wasn't what I expected. Gyokeres looked a bit tense, perhaps anxious. Being substituted after an hour was understandable. He probably wanted to play longer, but it wasn't a good performance."

Gyokeres crosses the ball during Arsenal's 1-0 victory against Man Utd at Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom, in the first round of the Premier League on 17/8/2025. Photo: Arsenal FC

Gyokeres joined Arsenal for a total of $86 million from Sporting Lisbon after two prolific seasons, scoring 97 goals in 102 matches. However, due to the protracted transfer, he missed a significant portion of the preseason. The 27-year-old striker only played in the last three friendlies, scoring once in a 3-0 win against Bilbao.

According to Pardew, who has managed West Ham, Crystal Palace, and Newcastle, starting Gyokeres before he was fully fit was a gamble: "He missed almost half of the preseason preparations, so he looked a bit off the pace. But when Arsenal spend that kind of money, the only way to regain match fitness is to play," he commented.

Meanwhile, former Man Utd center-back Rio Ferdinand called for patience. "I've seen many comments suggesting Gyokeres isn't suited to Arsenal," he said on his personal YouTube channel. "But it's only the beginning of the season; give him five or six games to settle in. The biggest issue right now is his fitness because he barely trained with the team during the transfer process."

The former England defender also emphasized Arsenal's squad depth, which could alleviate the pressure on Gyokeres: "With Havertz ready to come on, Arsenal have many options and opportunities to develop," Ferdinand said.

Gyokeres makes way for Kai Havertz in the 60th minute. Photo: Arsenal FC

Manager Mikel Arteta also defended his player, stating that Gyokeres performed well in high pressing and integrated well with the team. "In terms of finishing, Gyokeres didn't have many opportunities because the decisive passes beforehand weren't executed well enough to put him into space. But overall, debuting for Arsenal with a win at Old Trafford is a positive start," the Spanish manager emphasized.

Gyokeres will have a chance to score his first Premier League goal when Arsenal host Leeds in the second round on 23/8.

Hong Duy (via talkSPORT)