JAKARTA - Striker Viktor Gyokeres finally scored in the English Premier League. He scored a brace as Arsenal thrashed newly promoted Leeds United 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, August 23, 2025, evening WIB. The victory propelled Arsenal to the top of the table.
The Premier League was tight from the opening weeks. The London teams displayed dominance and took turns occupying the top spot in the second week.
Chelsea started by taking over the position held by Manchester City after thrashing West Ham United 5-1 in the London Derby. However, Chelsea's top spot was short-lived, as Tottenham Hotspur overcame Man City 2-0.
It was a significant victory for Tottenham, as it came at Man City's home ground. This also marked the Cityzens' first defeat in front of their home fans.
However, Tottenham's lead lasted only a few hours. Their neighbors and arch-rivals, Arsenal, successfully overtook the Lilywhites.
A resounding five-goal victory took Arsenal to six points. In their first match, the Gunners humiliated Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford.
Arsenal's points tally is the same as Tottenham's, but Arsenal have a better goal difference, thus occupying top spot.
This success proves that Arteta's commitment to Arsenal, which has been worth it, is to spend up to £1 billion on recruiting players at the Emirates. In their ambition to win the Premier League title for the first time since 2004, Arsenal has made numerous signings.
This season, Arteta has brought in Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard, and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Forward Eberechi Eze, who was unveiled to supporters before the match against Leeds, was the final signing. Arsenal successfully poached Eze from Crystal Palace, who had previously been close to joining Tottenham.
Arsenal's Expensive Squad Shows Off Its Teeth
In the match against Leeds, Arsenal's expensive squad showed its best. Eze did not feature in that match. However, Arsenal were still too powerful for Leeds, who were promoted back to the Premier League.
Leeds, who had surprisingly beaten Everton 1-0 in their opening match, actually put up some resistance. They were able to make things difficult for Arsenal for at least the first 30 minutes.
However, Leeds failed to maintain their consistency, and Jurrien Timber finally broke Arsenal's deadlock.
Timber's header from Declan Ricer's corner gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute. Timber also played a role in the second goal before halftime.
He provided the assist that Bukayo Saka converted in the 45+1 minute. Arsenal ended the first half with a 2-0 lead.
In the second half, Arsenal didn't slow down the tempo. As a result, Daniel Farke's team was never able to break away from the pressure. With an average of 65% possession, Arsenal completely dominated.
It didn't take long for the hosts to break the deadlock against Leeds. Gyokeres, bought from Sporting Lisbon for £55 million plus appearance bonuses, finally scored the first goal after just three minutes.
Gyokeres put Arsenal up 3-0, ending Leeds' hopes of taking a point at the Emirates. They were no longer able to catch up, especially when Timber scored his second goal in the 56th minute.
After Timber's goal, Arsenal lost their high tempo. Their attack slowed slightly, giving Leeds the opportunity to thrive. However, the visitors still found it difficult to penetrate Arsenal's solid defense.
Arteta then brought on 15-year-old Max Dowman for his debut, replacing Madueke. Dowman's introduction was met with a standing ovation. Dowman became the second-youngest player in Premier League history after Ethan Nwaneri, also from Arsenal.
Dowman also played a role in Arsenal's final goal in injury time. While carrying the ball in the penalty box, he was brought down by midfielder Anton Stach. The referee reviewed the incident via VAR before pointing to the penalty spot.
Gyokeres converted the penalty, his shot fooling goalkeeper Lucas Perri, who was offside. Gyokeres scored twice to give Arsenal a 5-0 lead, a lead that held until the end of the match.
"I knew there was pressure on me. But I also knew that sooner or later I would have a chance [to score]," said Gyokeres.
"In the end, I scored two goals in this match and we won 5-0. It was an incredible match," he added.
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