Things could not have gone much better for Arsenal when they welcomed newly promoted Leeds United to the Emirates on Saturday, 23rd August. A dominant display from Mikel Arteta’s men saw them put five past the West Yorkshire side.
Perhaps more significantly, the Gunners’ marquee signing Viktor Gyökeres scored his first goals for the club. Add to that the impressive performance of 15-year-old debutant Max Dowman, and the unveiling of new signing Eberechi Eze ahead of the match, and the home crowd were buzzing.
Here we take a look back at the match and assess whether Gyökeres looked like the real deal, and a man who could fire the Gunners to the title.
How Arsenal Dismantled Leeds
Putting on a show 🎬
Relive all 90 minutes with our Full Match Replay 📺
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 24, 2025
Stealing a player from under the noses of your biggest rivals and unveiling him before a match is always going to gee up the crowd. And so it proved on Saturday when Eze was introduced to the Emirates faithful ahead of kick-off. And the home side came out all guns blazing as they sought an opening goal against a Leeds team who were always likely to be up against it in north London.
As it turned out, Daniel Farke’s men held out reasonably well, and even enjoyed a brief period during which they looked threatening. It took the Gunners more than half an hour to get the breakthrough. It came from a relatively unlikely source as Dutchman Jurrien Timber, who scored only two goals in 48 appearances last term, headed in.
From then on, it was more or less one-way traffic, and the home side added to their tally before the break as Bukayo Saka smashed his shot past a flailing Lucas Perri. Things got even better for Arsenal early in the second half as Gyökeres began to repay his £64m fee with his first goal for the club. He exhibited fine footwork as he danced into the box and finished confidently. Less than 10 minutes later, Timber matched his tally for the whole of the previous campaign when he scored his second (and Arsenal’s fourth) of the match.
Soon after that, Arteta brought on the teenager Max Dowman, who became the second-youngest player to feature for the first team (being slightly older than Ethan Nwaneri was on his debut). The year 10 student (!) looked sharp, and it wasn’t long before he was causing problems for the Leeds defence, culminating in him winning a penalty for his side when he was brought down by Anton Stach in the area. Gyökeres slotted home from the spot to score his second for his new club.
Arsenal were dominant and confident in all areas of the pitch, and it would have been a perfect day for Arteta and his men but for injuries to two of his key players: Saka and Martin Odegaard. But after a very impressive transfer window (especially by Arsenal’s usually lacklustre transfer standards), there should be plenty of cover in the expanded squad. The question is, how will the Gunners fare when they meet more difficult opposition? Well, we’ll find out soon as they face champions Liverpool on Sunday, 31st August!
How Good Did Gyökeres Look against Leeds?
The home crowd were well and truly behind Gyökeres as he sought his first goal for the Gunners, willing the Swede to get off the mark (no doubt in the hope it would open the floodgates). So there was understandable jubilation when his first goal went in early in the second half. His all-around play was very good, and although he wasn’t quite as involved as he could have been for the full 90 minutes, he showed a lot of desire, and we get the impression he still has to fully find his feet in the Premier League.
After the game, the striker said, “I felt good today, of course, scoring two and the team scoring five. I think that showed that we can be a massive threat going forward because we have a lot of great players attacking but also, of course, it’s very important with the defending as well.” He also suggested that he should have scored from a decent chance in the first half, and we have to agree with him on that front. But overall, he did what strikers are paid to do and scored the goals that helped his side win the game.
His name is Viktor, Viktor Gyökeres ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/SpdI73yMcp
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 24, 2025
How Good Could Max Dowman Become?
As Premier League debuts go, it certainly wasn’t bad. When Dowman came onto the pitch, he looked determined to make an impact. Even though the game was already won by that point, he certainly saw this as an opportunity to shine, and shine he did. With jinking runs, lovely balance and great positional awareness, Dowman slotted into the team as if he were a regular starter. And his driving run into the box was reminiscent of Jack Grealish at his best or even a young Paul Gascoigne.
It’s clearly very difficult to assess how good Dowman could become, and there have been plenty of teenagers who’ve made impressive starts to their careers, only for them to drift into relative obscurity. But for every Freddie Adu or Ravel Morrison, there is a Wayne Rooney, a Lionel Messi or, dare we say, a Pele.
Okay, it’s not a one-for-one… far more players fail to reach their full potential than become true world beaters. But Arsenal is a club that often nurtures its young talent well, and Arteta has regularly shown his willingness to give teenagers a chance in the senior team. But ultimately, a lot will come down to Dowman’s temperament and the people he has advising him. But the early signs are certainly positive.
Could This Be the Year for Arteta?
The usually rather conservative Arsenal board have invested very heavily over the summer, which is a big vote of confidence in Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard has so far won one FA Cup and two Community Shields, but we get the sense he needs to land either the title or the Champions League this season. If his key players stay fit, and Gyökeres gets anywhere near the scoring rate he enjoyed in Portugal, the Gunners have a great chance of winning something significant this term. But we’ll learn more about Arsenal’s title prospects from the upcoming Liverpool game. Bring it on!