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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the forward that every Arsenal fans have been wishing for, then perhaps they will recall this night as the moment his fortune shifted. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it isn’t important how they go in.

Following a streak of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the offseason, a massive sense of release washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from close range via a deflection off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they are here to compete this season.

Stunning Reversal in Luck

Shortly after and to the excitement of the stadium crowd, his Bane-inspired gesture inspired by the character Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was showcased again after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta punched the air and motioned emphatically in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the past two weeks insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“That’s the game, and we can’t expect a player to move leagues and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Situations are not the same. All players in the world need one thing: their mental condition to be at its optimum. I informed Viktor in our first meeting that the No 9 I sought for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Failing that, you’re not cut out at this tier. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Formative Hurdles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to build resilience to make it in his chosen profession. Criticised after a disappointing display by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to succeed in professional play, he ended up being converted from a flank attacker into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I think about it often,” he said recently.

Testing Period

Goal-shy since the victory against Nottingham Forest here back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches of his professional life. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were beaten by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “invisible.”

He achieved an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the issue is clearly not his scoring ability. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his overall contribution has added a new layer in attack, even if the openings have not fallen his way.

Key Moments

This was certainly in evidence during the initial 45 minutes of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had initially seemed closely contested. There was a sense that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to impress as he ran aggressively like a disruptive presence during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the initial stages was originated from some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his defender, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the reputation of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is deeply knowledgeable at this standard compared with Gyökeres, who is competing in merely his second Champions League campaign after netting three goals for Sporting against Manchester City last season that must have gone a long way to influencing Arteta to secure the signing.

Relentless Effort

Nevertheless having drawn comments that he was out of shape after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker chased down every ball as if his life depended on it. Giménez was fooled into conceding a booking when Gyökeres ran into him on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his effort disallowed for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it did not happen until later that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an unconvincing toe-poke towards goal. Then it must have felt like the breakthrough would not arrive. But the dam burst when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the forward with the disguise made his mark. “Ideally this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.