Viktor Gyokeres makes first impression but Tottenham wondergoal shuts down Arsenal - 5 talking points

Arsenal fell to a surprise defeat against Tottenham as their pre-season campaign continued in Hong Kong. Pape Matar Sarr's wondergoal separated the Premier League rivals in an underwhelming derby.

The talented midfielder broke the deadlock on the verge of half-time when David Raya was caught well off his line. The Spurs ace claimed the ball from the half-way line before delivering a cultured effort over Raya and into the Gunners' net.

Tottenham had already hit the woodwork a number of times but their better work had been in disrupting Arsenal's play. Kai Havertz saw a penalty shout waved away in the opening 45 minutes as the Gunners struggled to find the net.

Mikel Arteta's side improved in the second period but neither team could add another name to the scoresheet. The sides managed just one shot on target each, despite Arsenal managing to apply more pressure in the second period.

Mirror Football takes a look at the talking points to emerge from the game.

READ MORE: Arsenal fans go into meltdown after wonder goal during Tottenham friendly

READ MORE: Ex-Barcelona star hospitalised after dog bites his genitals in freak accident

Arsenal made to wait

Christian Norgaardwas the only one of Arsenal's summer signings to start the game on Thursday. Mikel Arteta had warned that Viktor Gyokeres needed to be assessed before the game and would likely only be able to feature off the bench, but more than an hour had been played before even Martin Zubimendi made it onto the pitch.

Defender Cristhian Mosquera, in addition to Gyokeres, was also made to wait for his first minutes. But after 77 minutes the Swedish striker and Spanish defender made their way onto the pitch alongside 15-year-old Max Dowman.

Despite recording 15 shots, Arsenal were able to find the target just once. Arteta will hope Gyokeres can quickly solve that issue as he continues to grow into the side.

The former Sporting forward showed plenty of willing to run the channels but his team-mates struggled to find him in the short time he was on the pitch. There is still time for all parties to grow in familiarity before the season begins however.

Injury worries

While pre-season has seen a no risks approach, it does not come without scares. The Gunners did not want to rush Viktor Gyokeres into action, while goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was left out of the team.

The former Chelsea goalkeeper was seen in training earlier in the week, albeit not in action. The summer signing was in attendance Kai Tak Sports Park but without his gloves on Thursday.

On the other side, Dominic Solanke was still not involved in Spurs' efforts as the season continues to grow closer. The forward had a minor ankle injury which saw him miss out against Luton at the weekend before being absence from the open training session in Hong Kong.

The fear involved in pre-season action was clear when Myles Lewis-Skelly required treatment. Arsenal hearts were in mouths as the physio assessed his status on the pitch but he fortunately appeared to escape with a slight impact issue and was able to continue.

Telling moment

Son Heung-min has been more influential than most at Tottenham in his decade at the club. But all signs are pointing to that moment being over.

While you can't read too much into a pre-season starting line-up, the presence of Wilson Odebert, Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel and Brennan Johson all getting on the field before the South Korea captain may tell a story.

A cynical mind would say Son is being preserved at Tottenham until after their visit to South Korea in the coming days. A move to Los Angeles FC could follow that game in Seoul.

Thomas Frank earlier said: "I see a player that that can play a very good role here next season. He's come in, very good mindset, trained very hard, pushed the players. So I'm excited about it."

We'll soon find out.

North London derby abroad

It was a fractuous occasion rather than dramatic. While Arsenal and Tottenham can never truly be a friendly there was an intensity lacking with both teams at different stages of their preparation.

The officials did not allow for a flowing game with the whistle appearing to be persistently blown which perhaps denied any opportunity of the open games we've come to expect in north London. Though, this game was played abroad for the first time and perhaps lacked some of the ingredients often associated with the meeting.

When your goalkeepers' warm-up is interrupted by a dragon passing through, it perhaps indicates the action will not be full-throttle. But there was a partisan crowd as those favouring Arsenal vastly outnumbered those supporting their rivals.

Same again for Saka

It was not the finest outing for the England international but there's no doubt Saka will continue to be vital for Arsenal. Time and again he was brought down by the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Djed Spence as he looked to breate down the right.

Saka was ultimately substituted after receiving some treatment late in the second period. The winger walked off the width of the pitch as a drinks break took place so hopefully nothing too serious.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.