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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the attacker that each Arsenal fans have been hoping for, then perhaps they will recall this night as the point his fortune turned around. According to the classic forward’s saying, it isn’t important how they find the net.

On the back of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and pressure mounting on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the close season, a massive sense of release washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from close range via a glance off David Hancko during a thrilling second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they mean business this season.

Remarkable Shift in Form

Less than three minutes later and to the excitement of the local supporters, his face-covering routine borrowed from the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “I was ignored before the mask,” was repeated once more after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to finish the demolition against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta celebrated wildly and motioned emphatically in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“That’s the game, and we must not assume a player to change contexts and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Circumstances vary greatly. All players in the world need one thing: their state of mind to be at its best. I told Viktor in our initial discussion that the center forward I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. If not, you’re not cut out at this tier. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Youthful Struggles

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first understood he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his chosen profession. Rebuked after a poor performance by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to excel in professional play, he ultimately switched from a wide player into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I recall it now,” he said in a recent interview.

Challenging Spell

Goal-shy since the triumph over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches of his professional life. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the past fortnight, with one newspaper characterizing his outing against the latter as “absent.”

He recorded an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the problem is clearly not his finishing. As the manager has often noted, his all‑round play has added a new layer in attack, even if the openings have not been in his favor.

Game Analysis

This was plainly visible during the initial 45 minutes of this elite matchup between two teams that had originally looked well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was pressing too much to make an impact as he ran aggressively like a disruptive presence during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was created by some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his marker, José María Giménez.

Giménez has the air of a man who could provoke conflict anywhere but is vastly experienced at this stage compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to persuading Arteta to make the move.

Relentless Effort

Nevertheless having drawn comments that he was overweight after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker pursued each opportunity as if his future was at stake. Giménez was fooled into conceding a booking when Gyökeres made contact on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

A sumptuous flick from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an unconvincing toe-poke towards goal. At that point it must have seemed as if the opening goal would elude him. But the goals flowed when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the man in the mask announced his presence. “With any luck this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.