Arsenal’s new striker Viktor Gyökeres made his long-awaited debut in a Gunners shirt on Wednesday, but his first start ended in a 3-2 defeat to Villarreal in a preseason friendly at the Emirates Stadium—a match manager Mikel Arteta described as “naive” defensively.
The Swedish forward, who joined Arsenal in a €63 million (£54m) deal from Sporting CP—with an additional €10m in potential add-ons—featured for 62 minutes before being substituted. Despite the result, Arteta expressed satisfaction with the early signs from his marquee signing.
“It was very important for him to start and start building that connection with the team,” Arteta told reporters post-match.
“He’s only trained five or six times with us, but I already saw purpose in how he attacked spaces.
He hasn’t trained properly for two months, so Saturday will be another step forward for him.”
New Faces, Mixed Results
It was another summer recruit who scored Arsenal’s first goal of the evening. Christian Nørgaard, acquired from Brentford, rose highest to head home a back-post corner in the 36th minute, marking his debut goal in red and white.
However, Villarreal had already established a 2-0 lead by then, starting with former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pépé, who struck in the 16th minute but respectfully refrained from celebrating. Etta Eyong doubled the visitors’ lead just past the half-hour mark.
Arteta introduced fellow new signings Cristhian Mosquera and Martín Zubimendi at halftime, part of a wave of substitutions that included captain Martin Ødegaard, who replaced Gyökeres on the hour.
After Arnaut Danjuma made it 3-1 to Villarreal, Ødegaard pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 76th minute, but Arsenal couldn’t find a late equalizer.
Arteta: “We Must Defend Better”
Arteta was candid about the shortcomings of the performance, particularly in transition and defensive phases.
“The result is painful. They were super efficient, but we were naive, especially in how we defended open spaces. That cost us the game,” he said.
“When you play the way we do, you need to be airtight in those moments. We weren’t today.”
Madueke Makes Emirates Debut
One positive for Arsenal was a first appearance for winger Noni Madueke, who only recently featured in Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph three weeks ago. The England international made his unofficial debut and received a warm reception from the Emirates faithful.
“He showed great desire to come here from day one. His commitment is remarkable,” Arteta said.
“The reception from the fans was brilliant, and he’ll go again on Saturday.”
What’s Next for Arsenal
The Gunners will round off their preseason schedule this Saturday against Athletic Club, again at the Emirates Stadium, before launching their Premier League campaign with a blockbuster opener away at Manchester United on August 17.