Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres made their competitive debuts for Manchester United and Arsenal respectively at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Premier League clash saw the Sweden international start for Arsenal following his £64m move from Sporting Lisbon – playing 60 minutes – whereas the Slovenia international came on for Manchester United in the 65th minute and had 31 minutes to make an impact.
Ruben Amorim gave the new Manchester United No.30 just over half the game time that Mikel Arteta handed the Swede, but he still managed to take two shots at goal.
Furthermore, Sesko completed four successful passes in his 31 minutes of action, the same amount as Gyokeres.
In comparison, Gyokeres failed to record a single effort in his 60 minutes on the pitch.
It suggests Sesko is going to be far more direct than the Arsenal No.14 this season, and also more involved in linking up the play with his teammates.
Of course, there is plenty more football to come, but the first impression of Gyokeres – who Arsenal are delighted with – and the £74m Manchester United striker suggests the latter will be more entertaining to watch.
The Gunners actually considered signing the Slovenian instead of Gyokeres earlier this summer, but it ultimately came down to one factor – money.
Arsenal backed away from Sesko due to the simple fact RB Leipzig refused to negotiate for a fee below €90m (£77.6m) for two weeks of the window.
Andrea Berta – Director of Football at the Emirates Stadium – later wrapped up a £64m deal for Gyokeres, and RB Leipzig did end up lowering their asking price a bit, agreeing a £74m fee with Manchester United for the man born in Radece.
Given the fact it ultimately came down to a £13.6m gap in valuation between Gyokeres and Sesko for Arsenal, it will be very interesting to see which striker enjoys the better 2025/26 campaign.
