How did Gyokeres and Sesko perform on their Premier League debut?

The showdown between Man United and Arsenal in the opening round of the Premier League 2025/26 was not just about reputation, but also a chance for spectators to witness the debut of two costly new forwards: Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.

Victor Gyokeres: Heavy and out of sync with Arsenal's play

Coach Mikel Arteta opted to start Viktor Gyokeres instead of Kai Havertz. The Swedish striker was seen as the "missing piece" for Arsenal to truly compete for the title. However, his performance was rather lackluster.

In 60 minutes on the pitch, Gyokeres touched the ball only 21 times, made 9 passes, and did not register a single shot on goal. Although he showed some ability to hold up play, retain possession, and draw a few fouls, his cumbersome handling led him to miss opportunities to create breakthroughs. Even when he had space to accelerate against the MU defense, his clumsy touches caused Arsenal to lose chances.

The warning from coach Ruben Amorim, who previously managed Gyokeres at Sporting CP, about the harshness of the Premier League quickly became a reality. Faced with Matthijs de Ligt, the striker appeared blunt and was substituted early for Havertz.

Benjamin Sesko: Not explosive yet, but promising

On the other side, Benjamin Sesko also made his Premier League debut when he came on in the second half. It was not easy for the 1.95m tall striker to face Arsenal's solid center-back duo, Saliba and Gabriel. He didn't have much space to take dangerous shots but still showed some positive signs. The Slovenian player recorded 4 accurate passes, 5 accelerations, and 7 touches.

Sesko has the ability to move intelligently, knows how to drop back to link up, and can apply pressure on the opponent's defense. In several situations, he occupied space, disrupting Arsenal's penalty area, which somewhat encouraged MU fans. While he hasn't made a big impact yet, Sesko's presence made the Red Devils' play more direct in the closing minutes.

Summary

Both Gyokeres and Sesko did not have the debuts they hoped for, but the way they left their marks was quite different. Gyokeres is viewed as disappointing for failing to integrate into Arsenal's system, while Sesko provided some encouragement to MU fans with positive signs towards the end of the match.

With these two expensive signings, the journey to conquer the Premier League is still long, and the upcoming rounds will provide opportunities for them to demonstrate their true value.