Viktor Gyökeres Labours As Arsenal Fall Short Against Villarreal And Pépé

New season, aforesaid aged Arsenal? On an evening erstwhile Viktor Gyökeres was meant to denote himself arsenic nan solution to each of Mikel Arteta’s problems, alternatively it was a fig from Arsenal’s past who stole nan show.

At £72m – £8m much than they whitethorn extremity up paying for nan Sweden striker – Nicolas Pépé was an costly Arsenal signing, a fewer months earlier Arteta replaced Unai Emery successful 2019. Most of nan fans who packed retired nan Emirates Stadium for this pre-season friends will not person galore fond memories of nan Ivory Coast international’s spell successful northbound London, but he intelligibly had a constituent to beryllium here.

Pépé’s early extremity and strikes from Karl Etta Eyong and nan erstwhile Tottenham loanee Arnaut ­Danjuma sealed an awesome triumph for ­Villarreal, and near Arteta pinch plentifulness of ­questions to resoluteness earlier ­Arsenal’s opening crippled of nan play adjacent play against Manchester United.

Gyökeres, who is nan header enactment of a spending spree that could transcend £200m, looked short of lucifer fittingness arsenic he toiled up beforehand for 62 ­minutes. Only nan ­introduction of nan 15‑year‑old Max Dowman for his first elder quality astatine nan ­Emirates Stadium could assistance nan temper arsenic he won a punishment that allowed Martin Ødegaard to make nan scoreline much respectable. But location were much reasons to beryllium fearful for Arsenal’s fans arsenic they purpose to amended connected finishing arsenic Premier League runners-up for a 3rd successive season.

There had been a consciousness of anticipa­tion successful nan precocious summertime aerial arsenic they queued patiently astatine nan nine shop earlier kick‑off, pinch respective already sporting Gyökeres’s caller replica No 14 shirt. Having made his debut past week arsenic a substitute against Spurs successful their 1-0 conclusion successful Hong Kong, nan ­Sweden striker is still playing catch‑up ­having stayed distant from pre-season pinch Sporting arsenic he attempted to unit done his move. But he was included successful a beardown starting lineup, pinch Ethan Nwaneri deputising for Ødegaard alongside nan caller signing Christian Nørgaard and Mikel Merino successful midfield.

Mikel Arteta (centre, successful black) watches nan punishment shootout against Villarreal. Photograph: John Walton/PA

The lucifer programme featured pictures of each six of Arsenal’s summertime arrivals connected nan cover, pinch ­Martín Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga connected nan bench. Arteta utilized his programme notes to definitive his belief they “will adhd value and extent to nan squad, which is what we are going to request passim nan season”.

Areteta added: “We cognize what our targets are and what we want to execute this play – location is simply a large belief successful our expertise to execute that. We person been very, very adjacent nan past fewer seasons and nan full squad is going to find whether we execute that aliases not.”

It was Nwaneri, who has signed a caller statement this summer, who caught nan oculus early on. A transverse from Merino that was meant for nan ­forehead of Gyökeres alternatively recovered Bukayo Saka astatine nan backmost station and he could not nonstop nan shot connected target. But pinch only Gabriel Magalhães missing from his first-choice backmost four, Arteta will beryllium concerned pinch really easy ­Villarreal established a 2-0 lead.

Pépé, who joined Villarreal past twelvemonth connected a free transportation and is group to beryllium joined by nan erstwhile Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey aft he agreed an first one-year deal, was unlucky erstwhile his changeable came backmost disconnected nan station earlier he yet forced nan shot past David Raya erstwhile Arsenal grounded to clear. The Spaniard was near ­fuming pinch his defence erstwhile Etta Eyong doubled nan Spanish side’s lead conscionable aft nan half-hour, though ­Nørgaard instantly pulled 1 backmost from a corner.

Like past play erstwhile they struggled from a deficiency of creativity, that seemed to beryllium Arsenal’s champion chance of scoring arsenic Gyökeres was forced to unrecorded disconnected scraps earlier nan break. Mosquera and Zubimendi were summoned for nan 2nd half and location was an contiguous improvement. Gyökeres yet had a show of extremity erstwhile played successful by Merino but his changeable was good saved by Luiz Júnior.

It needed Dowman, who has been hailed arsenic a “special talent” by Arteta contempt his tender years, to prevention immoderate look aft Danjuma had raced clear to make it 3-1, though Madueke missed nan decisive punishment successful a post‑match shootout.