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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres develops into the forward that all Arsenal supporters have been hoping for, then perhaps they will look back on this night as the juncture his fortune changed. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it makes no difference how they find the net.

After a run of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the summer, a tremendous feeling of ease washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from close range via a glance off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are serious contenders this season.

Stunning Reversal in Luck

Shortly after and to the joy of the local supporters, his mask celebration inspired by the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “I was ignored before the mask,” was repeated once more after kneeing in from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta celebrated wildly and signaled enthusiastically in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the peak performance awaited.

“This is football, and we must not assume a player to move leagues and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Things are very different. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their state of mind to be at its best. I told Viktor in our initial discussion that the No 9 I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Failing that, you’re not suited at this standard. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Formative Hurdles

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to develop a thick skin to make it in his vocation. Criticised after a poor performance by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to excel in professional play, he ultimately switched from a winger into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I recall it now,” he said not long ago.

Testing Period

Having failed to score since the win over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his career. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the past fortnight, with one newspaper characterizing his outing against the latter as “invisible.”

He managed an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the issue is evidently not his scoring ability. As the manager has often noted, his overall contribution has provided additional depth in the final third, even if the opportunities have not come to him.

Key Moments

This was certainly in evidence during the initial 45 minutes of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had at first appeared well-balanced. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to make an impact as he bustled about like a bull in a china shop during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the initial stages was created by some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his opponent, José María Giménez.

The defender has the aura of a man who could provoke conflict anywhere but is deeply knowledgeable at this level compared with Gyökeres, who is competing in merely his second Champions League campaign after scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that probably significantly contributed to influencing Arteta to secure the signing.

Relentless Effort

Nevertheless having faced scrutiny that he was out of shape after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker chased down every ball as if his life depended on it. Giménez was drawn into conceding a caution when Gyökeres made contact on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his effort disallowed for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A sumptuous flick from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an weak effort towards goal. At that stage it must have seemed as if the opening goal would elude him. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the man in the mask left his imprint. “Ideally this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.