Arsenal victorious against Athletic Bilbao with a 3-0 scoreline; Viktor Gyokeres nets his initial goal for the Gunners, assists provided by Martin Zubimendu.
Arsenal's New Signing Viktor Gyökeres Shines in 3-0 Win Over Athletic Bilbao
Viktor Gyökeres, the Swedish striker recently acquired by Arsenal, made an impressive debut in the Premier League, scoring his first goal for the club in a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao.
Gyökeres, who joined Arsenal in mid-2025 for a reported fee of around £55-63 million, was brought in as a major striker reinforcement by manager Mikel Arteta. The 27-year-old, standing at 187 cm tall and wearing the Arsenal jersey number 14, has been compared to elite strikers like Erling Haaland due to his remarkable goal-scoring ability.
Before joining Arsenal, Gyökeres had an extraordinary goal-scoring run in Portugal with Sporting CP, scoring 97 goals in 102 games across two seasons. He was the league's top scorer and Player of the Year in 2024, earning the Bola de Prata twice.
Gyökeres' first goal for Arsenal came from a delivery by Martin Zubimendi, another new arrival from Real Sociedad, who slotted next to Declan Rice in central midfield and looked experienced. Gyökeres' header hit the post, but he did not let his head drop and played a part in the build-up to the second Arsenal goal, involving Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal's defense looked more organized at the back against Athletic Bilbao compared to their previous match against Villarreal. There is a question about whether to start Jurrien Timber at right-back or Ben White, who replaced him at half-time, for the game against Manchester United.
Another new arrival, Noni Madueke, was given a 45-minute run-out in the second half and was a real threat. Madueke scored in the post-match shoot-out after fluffing his lines from the spot against Villarreal.
Arsenal sold players for a total of £7m: Taveres, Marquinhos, Jorginho, Tierney, Tomiyasu, and Partey. The club spent £208m on new signings, including Gyökeres, Madueke, Zubimendi, Norgaard, Mosquera, Arrizabalaga, and Crystian.
Martin Odegaard lifted the Emirates Cup but Arsenal will hope to secure something more significant with Gyökeres in the team. Gyökeres delivered his trademark mask celebration after scoring his first goal, a promising sign for the future.
Gyökeres, after joining Arsenal in mid-2025, showcased his exceptional goal-scoring ability in sports, particularly football, scoring his first goal for the club in a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.
In his debut performance for Arsenal, Gyökeres, the newly acquired striker, demonstrated the same impressive form he displayed in Portugal's Primeira Liga with Sporting CP, scoring 97 goals in 102 games, a testament to his prowess in football.
