Sesko on, Gyokeres off at Old Trafford

Football sometimes reveals its irony in its very first moments.

Sesko's debut brings a glimmer of hope to Manchester United.

At Old Trafford on the evening of August 17, the focus of the big match between Manchester United and Arsenal in the opening round of the 2025/26 Premier League was not only the 1-0 result in favor of the Gunners, but also the debut of two new strikers: Benjamin Sesko of ManchesterUnited and Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal.

Both were expected to become the main strikers, the solution to the goal drought that has haunted the two big teams in recent seasons. However, their performances have gone in two opposite directions.

Gyokeres - the burden of expectation

To see why Arsenal have placed so much hope in Viktor Gyokeres, just look back at his journey over the past two seasons under the guidance of Ruben Amorim at Sporting Lisbon. From a player who struggled in the Championship, Gyokeres exploded, scoring 109 goals for club and country, becoming the complete striker that any big team would crave. It was this miraculous transformation that made Mikel Arteta believe that Gyokeres was “ready to go”, able to immediately bring the killer instinct that Arsenal lacked.

But English football is harsher than it promises. In 60 minutes at Old Trafford, Gyokeres was virtually non-existent. He had just 21 touches, three in the box, no shots and no significant chances.

His ability to keep the ball was limited, his first-step moves often put him at a disadvantage, and his physical strength - which is considered a plus - was not enough to cope with the home team's defenders. The image of a mobile, tenacious center forward at Sporting seemed to have not appeared in England.

Arteta wasn’t entirely disappointed, but his post-match comments were an admission: “He did a lot of good things, especially in pressing. But we didn’t get the ball in the right places for him to play. That’s something we need to improve on.”

In other words, Gyokeres is not alone in his fault, but he has yet to prove himself as the final piece of the Arsenal puzzle. With a huge transfer fee and heavy expectations, each game without making an impact will only add to the pressure on the Swedish striker's backpack.

For 60 minutes at Old Trafford, Gyokeres almost disappeared.

In contrast to Gyokeres' lackluster performance, Benjamin Sesko only had 25 minutes on the pitch but showed many positive signs. The highlight was not in the statistics - his two headers were quite gentle - but in the positioning and movement.

While in the first half ManchesterUnited often sent the ball into the box only to be easily cleared by Arsenal's defence, Sesko's presence immediately made a difference. He always knew where to land the ball, and was in the right place when his teammates crossed or passed the ball. That was a quality the club had been lacking for a long time.

Sesko hasn't had much time to settle in. He's only gotten to know his teammates through a few internal training games and Amorim didn't risk using him from the start.

But even in a short space of time, it was clear that the 22-year-old Slovenian would fit into Amorim's style of play: high-intensity pressing, but always in need of a striker who can exploit the space in the penalty area. Sesko may not have scored yet, but he has instilled a rare belief in the Old Trafford crowd - that Man United have finally found their true centre-forward.

Two roads, one lesson

It would be premature to write Gyokeres off after just one game. The Premier League is tough and takes time to adapt. Even big stars like Drogba, Henry or Haaland need weeks, even months, to find the right rhythm.

In contrast to Gyokeres' lackluster performance, Benjamin Sesko only had 25 minutes on the field but showed many positive signs.

But what happened at Old Trafford showed that Gyokeres will not be able to rely on his reputation or achievements in Portugal. He needs to prove himself with every touch, every challenge and, most importantly, with every goal.

The paradox with Sesko is that, despite being just a “cameo” (supporting role), he has captured the comparison. It is not necessarily because Sesko himself is so excellent, but because he appeared in a context where Manchester United lacked a real center forward.

Every time the former RB Leipzig striker jumped or cut in, fans in the stands saw a new piece of the same old picture. Sesko's youthful energy and desire may not have saved Manchester United from defeat against Arsenal, but it opened up another story: this team is gradually finding a more optimistic shape.

In football, sometimes the difference is not the goal, but the feeling the player gives to the team and the fans. Gyokeres walked out of Old Trafford with the burden of expectation and left a void of disappointment.

Sesko was only a supporting player in the larger scheme of things, but he sparked hope. Arsenal won, but it was Manchester United - through Sesko's performance - that gave them a glimmer of hope that the future was opening up.

The game not only exposed the familiar problems of both clubs, but also posed an interesting paradox: two new signings, two starts, one common story - to become the Premier League's number one striker, no one can take shortcuts. Sesko and Gyokeres will both need time, but if Old Trafford is the first yardstick, ManchesterUnited have shown more promise than Arsenal.

Source: https://znews.vn/sesko-sang-gyokeres-tat-o-old-trafford-post1577838.html