Football has a way of turning old alliances into new rivalries.
A year ago, Viktor Gyokeres stood on stage in Porto, holding the Player of the Year award after a blistering debut season with Sporting Lisbon.
He had scored 29 goals, added nine assists, and fired the club to a league title.
When asked about the secret to his success, he didn’t hesitate.
With a smile, he gave all the credit to his coach, Rúben Amorim.
Now, 12 months later, that same coach is plotting ways to stop him.
For the first time, Gyokeres and Amorim will face each other as opponents—Gyokeres as Arsenal’s new star striker, and Amorim as Manchester United’s manager.
Arsenal’s New Weapon Meets His Old Mentor
Amorim has spent the summer desperately searching for a reliable No. 9 to fix United’s weak attack, which managed only 44 league goals last season.
Given their history together, many assumed Gyokeres would be his first choice.
After all, under Amorim’s guidance, the Swedish striker became one of Europe’s most lethal forwards, scoring an incredible 66 goals in 68 matches.
But despite admiration on both sides, United never made a move.
Inside Old Trafford, the feeling was clear: Gyokeres only wanted Arsenal.
After losing out on Liam Delap to Chelsea, the club saw no point chasing a deal that was destined to fail.
Why United Never Made the Call
Reports in Portugal suggested Gyokeres’ representatives were disappointed that United never formally approached them.
But sources close to the club insist they always knew his heart was set on the Emirates.
Even Mikel Arteta sensed it after just one phone call—the striker’s preference was Arsenal, nothing else.
Instead, Amorim and United turned their focus to Benjamin Sesko, splashing £74 million to bring the Slovenian striker from RB Leipzig.
When asked about Gyokeres this week, Amorim kept his words brief, calling him a “very good player” before deflecting questions back to Arteta.
A Duel of Familiar Minds
Sunday’s match at Old Trafford will be about more than just points—it’s a battle of familiarity.
Amorim knows Gyokeres inside out: his strengths, his weaknesses, even the small details, like his habit of talking to himself in Swedish when under pressure.
But Gyokeres knows Amorim too. He understands his tactical patterns, his defensive rigidity, and his obsessive attention to preparation.
In 2023, Gyokeres described his coach as someone who made sure every player knew exactly what was required in every situation, both in attack and defense.
That deep tactical relationship now adds a fascinating twist to their reunion.
Building a Striker, Shaping a Career
Part of what made Amorim so influential in Gyokeres’ career was not just tactics, but man-management.
He taught the striker to forget where he came from—Coventry City in England’s second tier—and instead focus on the quality of teammates around him.
Amorim’s mantra was simple: believe you belong.
Team dinners, bonding exercises, and a system that perfectly suited his strengths turned Gyokeres into a goal machine.
That formula worked wonders in Lisbon, and Amorim is now trying to apply similar methods in Manchester.
Mutual Respect, Different Paths
Gyokeres himself has been open about the role Amorim played in his rise.
Speaking last month, he called his time at Sporting “perfect,” crediting the coach for helping him win back-to-back league titles for the first time in 71 years.
Arteta, however, offered a different perspective this week.
For him, Gyokeres’ most important development came earlier, during his time at Brighton.
There, the striker had to learn patience, accept reduced roles, and adapt—lessons Arteta believes gave him the resilience to later thrive at Sporting.
Rivals With Shared History
As much as Arteta tries to reshape the narrative, both Gyokeres and Amorim know the truth: their time together at Sporting was career-defining. Now, that shared history sets the stage for a new chapter.
This time, it won’t be about goals and trophies won together.
It will be about who comes out on top when teacher meets student, mentor meets protégé, and old allies turn rivals at Old Trafford.
The stage is set. Let the battle begin.