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London: Viktor Gyokeres appeared to have proved a point during Arsenal’s emphatic 5-0 win over Leeds United, with his cheeky hair-flick celebration drawing attention after his goal. The gesture seemed to reference some of the criticism he received following a quieter outing in his previous match against Manchester United. The striker had a tough time at Old Trafford, struggling to get involved before being subbed off early in the second half. But things looked much brighter on his return to the starting lineup, as he recovered from an early miss to score twice in front of a home crowd. Defender Jurrien Timber also chipped in with a surprising brace, and Bukayo Saka found the net just before the break. Gyökeres added a late penalty to complete a convincing win for the Gunners. However, the result was somewhat overshadowed by injury concerns for both Saka and captain Martin Odegaard. With a big fixture against Liverpool on the horizon, Mikel Arteta may have some fitness worries to contend with in the coming days. When asked whether the goal celebration had anything to do with the performance against Manchester United, Gyokeres said, “Might be, could be.”

Hair Flick Celebration Goes Viral 

After converting a late penalty to complete his brace, the Swedish forward looked directly into the camera and flicked his hair, a gesture that many interpreted as a response to the online backlash following his underwhelming debut against Manchester United. A probable reason for the trolls was that he flicked his hair while being substituted at Old Trafford. After the match against the Red Devils, Arteta insisted that he was satisfied with Gyokeres’ contribution. Speaking to Sky Sports, the Arsenal boss made it clear that patience is required with both the striker and fellow signing Martin Zubimendi. “Very happy with them, the ones that came in as well, they had a massive impact in the game,” Arteta said. “Some are still not at the highest level that they need to get to but we will get there.”

One social media user summed up the moment, writing: “Gyokeres done his hair to the camera as a celebration! He saw the tweets after Old Trafford. My striker!” The celebration, widely shared across platforms, was praised by fans as a perfect bit of playful trolling. 

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Gyokeres was signed to fill Arsenal's need for a prolific striker after finishing second in the Premier League for the past three years. Gyokeres at one point been a target for Leeds during his days with Coventry in the Championship before making the move to Portugal. The Swede's ability to succeed in the Premier League was questioned despite his prolific record of 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting. The Swede showed his poise in front of goal with a cool finish after latching onto Riccardo Calafiori's pass. “We have abilities to score in various ways. A lot to be excited by. A really positive afternoon to start the season off at home,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.