🔗 Share this article

If Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the attacker that each Arsenal supporters have been praying for, then perhaps they will recall this night as the moment his fortune turned around. According to the classic forward’s saying, it makes no difference how they find the net.

On the back of nine matches for club and country without a goal and expectations rising on the man signed for £64m in the offseason, a tremendous feeling of ease swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from point-blank via a deflection off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side demonstrated once more that they are here to compete this season.

Dramatic Turnaround in Fortune

Shortly after and to the delight of the stadium crowd, his Bane-inspired gesture inspired by the villain Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “I was ignored before the mask,” was repeated once more after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta celebrated wildly and signaled enthusiastically in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the best was yet to come.

“That’s the game, and we can’t expect a player to move leagues and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Things are very different. All players in the world need one thing: their psychological state to be at its optimum. I told Viktor in our introductory chat that the center forward I desired at Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they went six or eight games without scoring. Failing that, you’re not suited at this level. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Early Challenges

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to toughen up to make it in his selected career. Criticised after a disappointing display by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to excel in top-level football, he ended up being converted from a flank attacker into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I think about it often,” he said in a recent interview.

Testing Period

Without a goal since the triumph over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches of his time in football. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “invisible.”

He achieved an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the difficulty is obviously not his scoring ability. As the manager has often noted, his overall contribution has added a new layer in attack, even if the opportunities have not come to him.

Match Highlights

This was plainly visible during the initial 45 minutes of this elite matchup between two teams that had originally looked evenly matched. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to impress as he ran aggressively like a bull in a china shop during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was created by some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his marker, José María Giménez.

Giménez has the reputation 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 scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to persuading Arteta to secure the signing.

Unyielding Drive

However having drawn comments that he was carrying a few too many pounds after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker chased down every ball as if his future was at stake. Giménez was fooled into conceding a caution when Gyökeres ran into him on the edge of the Atlético area having simply held his position. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his opening chance.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an weak effort towards goal. Then it must have felt like the first score would never come. But the dam burst when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the masked striker made his mark. “Hopefully this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.