Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta sends 'destroy you' warning to Liverpool and Man City

Mikel Arteta has warned Arsenal's Premier League rivals that new signing Viktor Gyokeres will 'destroy them' if they let him. The £64million recruit from Sporting scored his first Gunners goal in a pre-season friendly win over Athletic Club on Saturday, and fans are expecting plenty more to follow.

Gyokeres will have breathed a sigh of relief when he nodded in Martin Zubimendi's cross to put Arsenal ahead in the 34th minute. Goals from Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz followed to give Arsenal a comfortable 3-0 win and send them into next weekend's Premier League opener against Manchester United on a high.

Liverpool and Manchester City are the two leading candidates to scupper Arsenal's title run this coming season. But Arteta has informed them, and every other side the Gunners will come up against, that the threat posed by Gyokeres cannot be taken lightly.

"Everything he does is on instinct," explained the Arsenal boss. "That's why he's scored so many in the last few seasons. It's goals, he's a threat, he pins centre-backs and when you leave him with space 1v1 he will destroy you."

Gyokeres showed other positive attributes during the Athletic Club clash, making dangerous runs into the channels and using his strength to hold off defenders and bring others into play.

Couple that with the incredible goals record he put together at Sporting, where he netted 68 times in 66 league games, and Arsenal's starting striker from last season, Havertz, may fear that he is suddenly out of a job.

But Arteta has other ideas. He said: "They can play together. Kai can play in different positions as well. It elevates the team's level and options of the squad. It's great to see both of them scoring and it's a good problem to have."

Arsenal will hope that Gyokeres can tip the title scales in their favour after finishing second for the last three consecutive seasons. But Liverpool and City have their own heavy hitters who will be laser-focused on the trophy.

The Reds have signed Hugo Ekitike to bolster their forward line and they could also sign Alexander Isak if Newcastle United cave in and allow the Swede to move on. City, meanwhile, have Erling Haaland, who has racked up 85 goals in 97 Premier League matches.