Arsenal fans fume at Paul Scholes' reaction to Viktor Gyokeres ridicule

Paul Scholes couldn't hold in his laughter when a Tottenham Hotspur fan suggested Viktor Gyokeres appears as though "he's playing with jeans on."

The Swedish forward has kicked off his Arsenal stint with two goals in three games, though he drew blanks at Anfield and Old Trafford. Gyokeres found the net twice against newly-promoted Leeds United, yet failed to register on his Premier League bow for the Gunners against Manchester United.

He was similarly unable to trouble Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker in a 1-0 defeat at Anfield against the reigning champions. A potential lack of clinical finishing against stronger opposition, a feature from his spell in Portugal with Sporting, has resulted in Gyokeres receiving some criticism from rival supporters and pundits.

During an episode of The Overlap Fan Debate, Scholes and Jamie Carragher were debating who might claim the Golden Boot when Spurs fan Ben Bowman triggered instant hilarity as he said: "[Gyokeres] looks like he's playing with jeans on."

Amid the laughter, Scholes paused for it to calm down before pressing the point further as he said: "Did you hear what somebody said... I don't know who it was, 'He looks like he's playing with jeans on.'"

The joke continued, much to the frustration of the Arsenal supporters in attendance, with this annoyance spilling over onto social media platforms. One Gooner wrote: "This is football discourse by ex players/pundits within mainstream media. Pathetic, but I'm not surprised."

Other supporters joined the discussion, with many defending Gyokeres in the comments. One said: "If there was ever a price for playing for Arsenal this is it. Don't think I've ever seen a platform this big openly mock a player. This seems spiteful."

Another wrote: "Every player is loved until they play for Arsenal." And one added: "Honestly this guys don't have shame, why is this even allowed, they always talk stupidly when it comes to Arsenal."

Despite the backlash directed towards Gyokeres, his previous exploits in front of goal tell their own story. The Swedish international scored 68 goals across just 66 Primeira Liga appearances for his former side, whilst he also delivers consistently on the international stage.

Gyokeres has 15 goals and seven assists for Sweden, including one strike in a 2-2 draw with Slovenia during this international break. His new fans in north London will probably trust his track record rather than the views of opposition fans and ex-professionals.

While he hasn't quite made the explosive start he would have desired for the Gunners, supporters will be backing the 27-year-old to find the net regularly throughout the 2025/26 campaign and beyond. There is hope that he can be the final piece of the puzzle in ending Mikel Arteta's trophy drought.

He and Arsenal will resume Premier League duties with a home encounter against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. They will meet former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou in his maiden match at the helm following Nuno Espirito Santo's dismissal.

After that, they face a challenging Champions League match away at Athletic Club next Tuesday, before the crucial showdown against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City at the Emirates the following Sunday.

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