At Emirates Stadium on 23/8, Gyokeres scored his first two goals for Arsenal. In the 48th minute, the Swedish striker cut inside from the wing and shot into the near corner, making the score 3-0. After scoring, he ran to the right corner of the pitch, covering the lower half of his face with his hands in his signature mask celebration from his time at Sporting Lisbon.

In added time of the second half, Gyokeres successfully converted a penalty, sealing a 5-0 win for Arsenal. He initially performed his usual mask celebration. However, the 27-year-old striker then stopped, smoothed his hair, and looked directly into the camera.

Viktor Gyokeres smooths his hair and looks directly at the camera after scoring the final goal in Arsenal's 5-0 win against Leeds in the second round of the Premier League at Emirates Stadium, London, England, on 23/8. Photo: AFP

After the match, when asked if the celebration was related to the mockery he received for repeatedly smoothing his hair in the opening match against Man Utd, the 27-year-old striker replied, "Maybe so, yes."

Following the opening game at Old Trafford last week, Gyokeres was ridiculed for smoothing his hair 28 times during the 90 minutes without making an impact. Former Man Utd center-back Rio Ferdinand even suggested that Gyokeres wasn't suited to Arsenal's style of play and expressed concern that the striker could be a flop in the Premier League.

Yesterday, Gyokeres delivered a much more impressive performance in his first official match at Emirates Stadium. "I'm very happy with the result, especially the two goals. There's always pressure, but I knew I would take my chances. Winning 5-0 is a really great day," he expressed.

Gyokeres also acknowledged that the lack of training time with his teammates contributed to his slow start. "I've only had a short pre-season, haven't trained much, and then immediately had to play a full 90 minutes. The match against Leeds helped me regain my rhythm and better understand the team's playing style," he said.

Viktor Gyokeres scores his first goal for Arsenal in the 5-0 win against Leeds. Photo: Reuters

According to the former Sporting player, he feels most comfortable receiving the ball behind the defenders and having the opportunity to cut inside and shoot. With a quality attacking lineup, he believes that he only needs to position himself well to wait for opportunities.

"All teams want to make it difficult when they play against Arsenal. But we have a great team that works hard every day. Two wins, two clean sheets, and scoring many goals is a good start. However, we can still play even better," Gyokeres affirmed.

Manager Mikel Arteta also praised his player. "The important thing is to get the first goal," he emphasized. "Gyokeres did that impressively, not just with the opening goal but also with his composure in taking the penalty. He played a full 90 minutes at high intensity, which is also a step forward."

The 5-0 victory propelled Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table with six points, six goals scored, and none conceded. On 31/8, Gyokeres and his teammates will visit reigning champions Liverpool.

Compiled by Hong Duy