Arteta Encourages Arsenal Squad to Support Gyökeres After Debut Struggles

LONDON, England — Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has urged his squad to unite and support summer signing Viktor Gyökeres. The forward made his competitive debut last weekend after transferring from Sporting CP for £63.4 million ($85.5 million) but struggled to make an impact, completing just four passes and not managing a shot on target.

In light of the criticism aimed at the team, Arteta noted that Gyökeres’s limited involvement was partly due to inadequate build-up play from teammates. Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League match against Leeds United, the manager expressed confidence in Gyökeres. “I think we are going to be extremely happy when he starts to put the ball in the back of the net very, very often, which is his biggest ability,” Arteta said.

Despite his debut, Arteta remains optimistic about Gyökeres’s potential, stating, “He is ready to go again. He’s very, very enthusiastic. He trained really well this week.” However, Arteta faced setbacks with injuries in the squad, particularly with German international Kai Havertz, who will undergo additional tests for an undisclosed injury that may sideline him for a while.

“Unfortunately, he picked up an injury and we don’t really know yet the extent of it,” Arteta said regarding Havertz. “We need to explore that issue a little bit further and then decide what we’re going to do.” Meanwhile, Arteta also confirmed that Christian Nørgaard missed the win over Manchester United due to a minor injury but expected him to return quickly.

As Arsenal prepares to take on Leeds, Arteta hopes for a stronger showing from his players to build on their narrow 1-0 victory against Manchester United last week. Currently, Arsenal is positioned well in the title race, making their matchup against Leeds critical for momentum.