Gyokeres 'will Be In Really Good Place' When Season Starts

It was only a pre-season friends against Villarreal, yet location was still a emotion of excitement and anticipation heading to Emirates Stadium arsenic Arsenal supporters looked to spot caller £64m signing Viktor Gyokeres successful action.

Fans are desperately hoping nan 27-year-old striker will beryllium nan missing portion for nan Gunners to assistance a trophy for nan first clip since 2020.

The loudest cheers earlier kick-off were for Gyokeres erstwhile his sanction was publication retired successful nan starting line-up - nan only sound to rival it came for nan preamble of talented 15-year-old Max Dowman.

There was anticipation each clip nan shot went adjacent nan Sweden world and it looked arsenic though his team-mates were besides trying to make judge Gyokeres scored connected his first start, and astatine his caller location ground.

That did not hap arsenic Arsenal mislaid 3-2 to nan La Liga side, pinch different summertime signing Christian Norgaard and skipper Martin Odegaard connected target successful each half.

But location were promising signs and nan hr Gyokeres played will beryllium important to his fittingness earlier nan commencement of nan caller Premier League play astatine Manchester United connected Sunday, 17 August.

Having not trained pinch a squad for 2 months aft leaving Sporting and different Arsenal crippled to travel connected Saturday against Athletic Bilbao, head Mikel Arteta said nan guardant will "100%" beryllium fresh for nan Old Trafford test.

"I deliberation mentally, and knowing what he needs to do, he will beryllium 100% aliases more." added nan Spaniard.

"Because he is truthful consenting and truthful assured he tin present consecutive away, I person nary doubts he will beryllium successful a really bully place.

"We already collapsed that statement today, because I deliberation it was very important for him to commencement a lucifer and commencement to person nan emotion and nan relationship pinch nan team.

"He's been pinch america only a week aliases so, but I already saw a batch of things and a batch of purpose, particularly nan measurement he was attacking successful definite spaces.

"So, successful general, for a batch of players that haven't played galore minutes, we person a batch now that they're going to beryllium fresh for Saturday [against Bilbao] successful a overmuch amended condition."

Arsenal look to beryllium trying to get nan shot into nan container a batch quicker arsenic they effort to play to Gyokeres' strengths.

He was adjacent to getting connected nan extremity of a first-half cross, earlier wafting a limb astatine an awkward transportation and past denied by a bully prevention erstwhile played into nan area successful nan 2nd period.

When asked really agelong it will return for nan erstwhile Coventry City guardant to settee into his caller surroundings, Arteta was optimistic.

"I dream days," he said pinch a smile. "Every time successful training I deliberation he is getting a really bully feeling.

"He is building connections outside, which is really important pinch players that are going to thief him to get successful nan position that he needs to get in.

"His fittingness level, he hasn't trained pinch a squad for 2 months. I deliberation he is connected 5 sessions earlier today. I deliberation connected Saturday he will return different measurement and beryllium successful a amended condition."