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Arsenal legend Ian Wright has revealed the message he sent to Viktor Gyokeres after his debut against Manchester United. He drew comparisons to his own career and urged the Swede to work hard.
The Gunners signed Gyokeres from Sporting CP for a reported fee of €63 million + €10 million in add-ons this summer. He made his debut in their Premier League 2025-26 opening clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford on August 17. The visitors won 1-0.
However, Gyokeres had an underwhelming debut. In his 60 minutes on the pitch, he completed 4/9 passes, won 3/13 duels, attempted 0 shots, and lost possession 11 times (via SofaScore). Arsenal legend Ian Wright has now revealed what he told Gyokeres after his debut against Manchester United, saying (via TBR Football):
“I’ve got a kind of dialogue with literally every player in that dressing room. I could send a message, they’ll send a message back, and I’ve already sent my messages to Viktor and he’s already sent them back, you know, and how much he’s looking forward to doing what he’s doing."
He added:
“And like I sent that message about Viktor, you’re mirroring me, so all you’ve got to do now is continue to have the faith in yourself that got you through the hard times. Because you doubt yourself, you doubt yourself because all of a sudden you’re coming into a dressing room and you’re playing with Saka and you’re playing with Odegaard, you know what I mean?
“You’re playing with two arguably the best centre backs in the world, you’re playing with Declan Rice, one of the best midfielders in the world, Zubimendi, your level has gone somewhere else.”
Wright played for Arsenal between 1991 and 1998, recording 185 goals and 31 assists in 288 games.
Arsenal icon shares thoughts on Viktor Gyokeres' performance against Manchester United
Former Arsenal winger, Freddie Ljunberg, has shared his optimism about Viktor Gyokeres after his debut performance against Manchester United. He acknowledge that the striker struggled but added that he believes the Swede can score plenty of goals.
Ljunberg said:
"It was a tough day at work for him. He obviously wants to score goals and the fans want to see him score goals. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is the Premier League, not Portuguese league. But you can see he has it in him, so I’m not worried. I think he will be around 20 goals this season if he breaks the zero early."
Arsenal will face Leeds United at home (August 23) and Liverpool at Anfield (August 31) before going into the international break.
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Aditya Singh
Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 4 years. He boasts a total experience of over 7 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.
A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.
Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.
Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.
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