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Should Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the forward that all Arsenal followers have been praying for, then perhaps they will look back on this night as the juncture his destiny changed. According to the classic forward’s saying, it doesn’t matter how they find the net.

After a run of nine matches for club and country without a goal and expectations rising on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the close season, a huge wave of relief swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from point-blank via a ricochet 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 Form

Less than three minutes later and to the delight of the local supporters, his mask celebration borrowed from the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose famous line 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 seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta celebrated wildly and gestured animatedly in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the past two weeks insisting the best was yet to come.

“This is football, and we shouldn’t anticipate a player to move leagues and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Things are very different. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their state of mind to be at its optimum. I told Viktor in our introductory chat that the striker I desired at Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not cut out at this tier. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Early Challenges

It was as a 14-year-old playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to build resilience to thrive in his vocation. Criticised after a subpar outing by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to succeed in top-level football, he was eventually transformed from a flank attacker into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I recall it now,” he said recently.

Challenging Spell

Goal-shy since the victory against Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods 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 “unnoticeable.”

He managed an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the issue is clearly not his scoring ability. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his all‑round play has added a new layer in offense, even if the openings have not been in his favor.

Key Moments

This was clearly apparent during the first half of this top-level clash between two teams that had at first appeared well-balanced. There was a sense that Gyökeres was trying too hard to impress as he bustled about like a bull in a china shop during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the initial stages was originated from some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his defender, José María Giménez.

Giménez has the aura of a man who could provoke conflict anywhere but is highly seasoned at this standard 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 convincing Arteta to make the move.

Relentless Effort

However having faced scrutiny that he was carrying a few too many pounds after being absent for preparations 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 caution when Gyökeres made contact on the edge of the Atlético area having simply held his position. Gabriel Martinelli saw his goal ruled out for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an weak effort towards goal. At that point it must have seemed as if the opening goal would never come. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the masked striker left his imprint. “Ideally this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.