A debut defeat and an outing that was underwhelming but left the sense he was underused may matter little. When it comes to competitive games, Viktor Gyokeres ’s Arsenal bow will come at Old Trafford against Manchester United on 17 August.

The contrast with the right side of the pitch was stark. One of the major positives from Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia has been Ben White and Bukayo Saka rekindling their chemistry on that flank. The pair combined well on several occasions and, especially in the second half, White had some joy against Spurs when overlapping.