Viktor Gyokeres made his Arsenal debut on Thursday in Hong Kong, introduced as a second-half substitute against Tottenham Hotspur.
This was the first-ever North London derby played abroad, and the Gunners slumped to defeat courtesy of a first-half screamer from Pape Sarr.
Gyokeres signed for Arsenal for £63 million last week and immediately joined up with Mikel Arteta’s squad in Asia, so that he could be involved in this game.
With Villarreal and Athletic Club to come at the Emirates in the next two weeks, he’ll have ample opportunity to build on this outing in preparation for the new campaign.
How did Viktor Gyokeres perform on his Arsenal debut?
Arsenal beat Newcastle 3-2 in Singapore on Sunday and would’ve hoped to follow that victory up with a positive result against rivals Tottenham.
They were unable to do so, as Spurs ran out 1-0 winners at the Kai Tak Stadium.
Despite the outcome, there were some positives for Arteta to take, none more so than marquee new signing Gyokeres making his debut in a red and white shirt.
Having only taken part in a handful of training sessions since joining the Arsenal camp, the Swede was left on the bench, with Kai Havertz selected to lead the line.
With 13 minutes left to play, the German was replaced by Gyokeres, who received a warm reception from the Arsenal supporters inside the arena in Hong Kong.
The Gunners were chasing an equaliser at that point, and Thomas Frank’s side were subsequently sitting deep inside their own defensive third.
This left Gyokeres with little space to exploit in behind the Tottenham back-line, with most of his involvements being him scrapping to try and win a loose ball in a crowded penalty area, as Arsenal sent several crosses into the box.
The 27-year-old forward was therefore peripheral in his short cameo, failing to influence the game as the Gunners tired in the sweltering heat in Hong Kong.
Viktor Gyokeres’ statistics vs Tottenham
How peripheral Gyokeres was in his outing was reflected in his stats.
The Sweden international had just two touches of the ball in his 13 minutes on the pitch, taking no shots, completing no dribbles, and winning no duels.
| Viktor Gyokeres’ Statistics vs Tottenham | |
| Minutes Played | 13 |
| Accurate Passes | 2/2 (100%) |
| Key Passes | 1 |
| Touches | 2 |
| Touches in Opposition Box | 1 |
| Shots | 0 |
| Dribbles Completed | 0 |
| Duels Won | 0/0 |
He did, however, manage to create a chance with one of his two touches, flicking the ball on for Martin Zubimendi inside the box, who fluffed at it as it trickled wide.
A relatively uneventful debut for Gyokeres, but one that sets up nicely for a proper introduction to Arsenal Football Club at the Emirates next week.
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