Gyökeres Struggles as Pépé Haunts Arsenal in Pre-Season Loss to Villarreal
So, the big buzz from Arsenal’s latest pre-season friendly? It wasn’t exactly the fairytale debut fans were hoping for from Viktor Gyökeres. The £64 million striker, seen as the centerpiece of Mikel Arteta’s summer rebuild, made his home debut at the Emirates—but the night ended in a 3-2 defeat to Villarreal. And in an ironic twist, it was a former Gunner, Nicolas Pépé, who came back to spoil the party.
Now, for those who remember Pépé’s frustrating time in North London, this performance might’ve raised some eyebrows. The Ivorian forward—who once cost Arsenal a whopping £72 million—opened the scoring for Villarreal after hitting the post just moments earlier. It was clear he had a point to prove, and he delivered.
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Arsenal’s defending, frankly, didn’t help. Villarreal were gifted space, and when Karl Etta Eyong added a second goal not long after Pépé’s opener, the Emirates grew noticeably restless. Christian Nørgaard managed to pull one back with a powerful header from a set piece—an area where Arsenal have often looked dangerous—but it wasn’t enough to shift momentum before the break.
As for Gyökeres, well… he looked off the pace. Having missed most of pre-season while pushing for his move from Sporting Lisbon, he still appears to be catching up. He did get one decent chance after being slipped through by Mikel Merino in the second half, but it was well saved by Villarreal’s keeper. His 62 minutes on the pitch didn’t exactly scream “instant impact.”
The real spark for Arsenal came—again—from 15-year-old Max Dowman. This kid is quickly becoming the name on everyone’s lips. Coming off the bench, Dowman showed incredible composure and creativity, winning a penalty after a silky backheel and quick burst into the box. Ødegaard stepped up and converted it to make it 3-2, giving Arsenal a late lifeline. Dowman’s influence was undeniable—Arteta even said after the match that Max is moving “so fast” and is doing things in games that most players his age couldn’t dream of.
But despite that late surge, the Gunners couldn’t find an equalizer. Arnaut Danjuma’s goal for Villarreal had already done enough damage, and Arteta’s side were left nursing back-to-back pre-season defeats, with Manchester United looming on the horizon next week.
Arteta called the defending "naïve," particularly the way his side handled open spaces. He knows there's work to do—and fast. The season opener isn’t just around the corner. It’s here. And if Arsenal want to shake off that “almost there” label from last season, they’ll need to find both sharpness and solidity, starting immediately.
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