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Should Viktor Gyökeres develops into the forward that every Arsenal fans have been wishing for, then maybe they will recall this night as the moment his fortune shifted. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it makes no difference how they hit the back of 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 close season, a huge wave of relief washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from close range via a glance off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side demonstrated once more that they are serious contenders this season.

Stunning Reversal in Fortune

Shortly after and to the delight of the local supporters, his face-covering routine borrowed from the character Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was showcased again after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. Down on the touchline, Arteta punched the air and signaled enthusiastically in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the best was yet to come.

“This is football, and we shouldn’t anticipate a player to switch environments and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Circumstances vary greatly. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their mental condition to be at its best. I told Viktor in our introductory chat that the striker I desired at Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they faced a goal drought without scoring. Failing that, you’re not cut out at this standard. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Youthful Struggles

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to build resilience to thrive in his chosen profession. Admonished after a disappointing display by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to excel in top-level football, he ended up being converted from a flank attacker into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I still remember it today,” he said not long ago.

Challenging Spell

Goal-shy since the triumph over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his professional life. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “invisible.”

He achieved an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the issue is clearly not his scoring ability. As the manager has often noted, his all‑round play has provided additional depth in offense, even if the chances have not fallen his way.

Key Moments

This was plainly visible during the opening period of this top-level clash between two teams that had initially seemed evenly matched. There was a sense that Gyökeres was trying too hard to impress as he ran aggressively like a bull in a china shop during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced 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 marker, José María Giménez.

The defender has the aura of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is highly seasoned at this level compared with Gyökeres, who is playing in only his second Champions League campaign after bagging a triple for Sporting against Manchester City last season that must have gone a long way to influencing Arteta to make the move.

Constant Hustle

Yet having faced scrutiny that he was overweight after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker harried all opponents as if his life depended on it. Giménez was fooled into conceding a caution when Gyökeres made contact on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it did not happen until later that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A sumptuous flick from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an weak effort towards goal. At that stage it must have appeared that the breakthrough would elude him. But the dam burst when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the masked striker announced his presence. “Hopefully this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.