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New signing Viktor Gyökeres failed to impress in his debut at the Emirates Stadium. |
Arsenal continued their pre-season friendly run with a 2-3 defeat against Villarreal in the early hours of August 7th. Christian Norgaard and Martin Odegaard scored for the "Gunners," however, the La Liga side still won the match and subsequently won on penalties.
The highlight of the match was Viktor Gyökeres' first start for Arsenal. The £64 million signing was expected to solve Mikel Arteta's attacking problems after his breakout performance for Sporting CP. However, the Swedish striker's performance was disappointing.
In his 63 minutes on the pitch, Gyökeres only touched the ball 14 times, made 7 passes (4 accurate), lost possession 3 times, and had only one shot on target. This lackluster performance led to his substitution, making way for captain Odegaard.
However, the English media argued that the problem wasn't entirely Gyökeres' fault. Many major newspapers unanimously stated that the striker had made some promising off-ball runs, but his teammates didn't pass to him in time. The Evening Standard gave him a 6 out of 10 and commented: "He needs more time to find common ground with his teammates, as he often makes intelligent runs but doesn't receive the ball."
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Despite a less-than-ideal debut, experts generally agree that Gyökeres needs more time to adapt. |
Meanwhile, The Express pointed out that Gyökeres was easily pressed by opponents, even committing fouls out of frustration. The newspaper suggested that he also needed to take responsibility for his lackluster performance, although it acknowledged his runs were a rare bright spot.
The Sun commented that the Swedish striker was not yet in ideal physical condition: “A quiet evening in his first game at the Emirates. There were some good touches in the first half, but he hasn't yet found his rhythm with the game – understandable given the lack of pre-season preparation.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal Insider assessed the problem as a mismatch between Gyökeres and Arsenal's current playing style. "Clearly, the team will need to adjust to make the most of Gyökeres's off-the-ball movement – something that wasn't exploited properly in this match," the site analyzed.
Despite a less-than-ideal debut, experts agree that Gyökeres needs more time to adapt. The issue isn't about individual quality, but about the connection between him and the rest of the squad – something manager Arteta will certainly have to address before the Premier League season begins.
Source: https://znews.vn/van-de-cua-gyokeres-o-arsenal-post1574941.html
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