Viktor Gyokeres has shrugged off the pressure that came with his high-profile move to Arsenal. His three goals in the first four matches have helped Mikel Arteta's team lay down a marker for another Premier League title challenge. The summer transfer window was dominated by talk of Arsenal's need for a top striker, with sporting director Andrea Berta under immense pressure to deliver. And deliver he did, securing the signature of one of Europe's most prolific goalscorers over the past two seasons.
However, his debut at Old Trafford raised more questions than it answered and attracted a fair amount of early criticism. So much so, that when he netted his second goal against Leeds United, he celebrated with a pointed response directly into the camera. A quick hair flick later, and the Swedish striker had brushed off much of the criticism. His close-range finish in the weekend match against Nottingham Forest is exactly what fans are hoping to see more of this season.
Speaking after the victory, he expressed his excitement to Football London about playing alongside Eberechi Eze, who set up the goal, and Noni Madueke, who also impressed, and made his thoughts clear on injured team-mate Kai Havertz.
"Yeah, it's amazing," he said. "They always want to go forward and be a threat. You could see today, they were very dangerous. For me to play with those players, you just have to be in the right positions, and you'll get chances. It's great."
The striker role had been viewed by many as the missing component in Mikel Arteta's squad. Indeed, it was perhaps the one area that had been holding them back from making the leap from title contenders to Premier League winners.
The forward was asekd about whether he understood the enormous expectation and excitement surrounding the signing of a player in that role.
The Swedish international replied: "I wanted to get here and get going. And yeah, of course, it's going to be pressure in a very, very big club. You know that. Just trying to make the best when you're out on the pitch and just don't think too much about that."
There was no certainty that Gyokeres would immediately be handed the striker responsibilities by Arteta. Havertz had recovered from injury and looked sharp during pre-season, particularly with his strike against Athletic Club.
However, a knock sustained against Manchester United on the opening day has sidelined the German international for an indefinite period, marking his second lengthy absence this year.
When asked if this could be seen as a silver lining, guaranteeing Gyokeres more playing time than anticipated, he responded in a manner that will surely delight boss Arteta, admitting it's never pleasant to see a team-mate injured.
"Of course, you always want minutes," he said. "And yeah, you get into it easier when you play more, of course. But, it's not because someone else is injured that you want to play. You want to perform and show that you deserve to be on the pitch. That's what I'm trying to do."
This underscores the fact that Gyokeres was eager to compete for his position. Despite past links to Benjamin Sesko and suggestions that Havertz's presence and lack of assurance of being the starting striker may have influenced his decision to delay leaving until 2024, Gyokeres was keen to make the move.
Now, Arsenal are benefiting from his determination, and the Swede is off to a promising start this season.