Arteta Issues Bold Challenge to Gyokeres as Arsenal's Sluggish Start Sparks Transfer Urgency

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has called upon his entire team to unite in supporting summer acquisition Viktor Gyökeres to reach his full potential.

During his debut competitive match after his £63.4 million ($85.5 million) transfer from Sporting CP, Gyökeres found it difficult to leave his mark in Arsenal's tense 1–0 victory against Manchester United, managing only four passes and registering zero shots on target.

Facing scrutiny over the performance, Arteta came to his new forward's defense by attributing his minimal involvement to inadequate service from his teammates, reaffirming this position before Saturday's Premier League encounter with Leeds United.

"I believe we will be incredibly pleased when he begins finding the net regularly, which represents his greatest strength," Arteta shared with reporters.

"Therefore, both the squad and I bear significant responsibility in supporting him and learning how to maximize his effectiveness. His debut was particularly challenging, and we'll build from that experience.

"He's prepared for another opportunity. His enthusiasm remains high, and his training sessions this week have been excellent. With another week of preparation completed, he appears to be in an excellent mindset."

Arteta had hoped to gradually integrate Gyökeres into Arsenal's system but has been forced to accelerate this process due to Kai Havertz's knee problem, with the German requiring additional medical evaluation for an injury that may keep him out for a considerable time.

"Regrettably, he sustained an injury and we're still uncertain about its severity," Arteta commented regarding the German player. "We require additional time and further examinations before we can provide more information about the recovery process.

"I'd rather not discuss the details, but he's currently unavailable. As mentioned, we need to investigate this matter more thoroughly before determining our course of action."