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If Viktor Gyökeres develops into the striker that each Arsenal fans have been wishing for, then possibly they will recall this night as the moment his fortune shifted. According to the classic forward’s saying, it makes no difference how they hit the back of the net.

After a run of nine matches for club and country without a goal and pressure mounting on the man signed for £64m in the close season, a huge wave of relief washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from near distance via a glance off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are here to compete this season.

Stunning Reversal in Luck

Within moments and to the joy of the home faithful, his mask celebration borrowed from the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “attention came only with the disguise,” was showcased again after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta celebrated wildly and motioned emphatically in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the past two weeks insisting the best was yet to come.

“This is football, and we must not assume a player to move leagues and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Situations are not the same. All players in the world need one thing: their psychological state to be at its best. I advised Viktor in our first meeting that the striker I desired at Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they went six or eight games without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not cut out at this level. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Early Challenges

It was as a 14-year-old playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to toughen up to thrive in his chosen profession. Admonished after a subpar outing by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to make it in professional play, he ultimately switched from a winger into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I still remember it today,” he said not long ago.

Challenging Spell

Goal-shy since the win over Nottingham Forest here back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his time in football. Gyökeres was widely panned after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the past fortnight, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “unnoticeable.”

He recorded an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the problem is obviously not his finishing. As the manager has often noted, his overall contribution has added a new layer in the final third, even if the opportunities have not come to him.

Game Analysis

This was certainly in evidence during the first half of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had at first appeared closely contested. There was a sense that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to stand out as he ran aggressively like a bull in a china shop 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 cleverly escaped from his opponent, José María Giménez.

Giménez has the reputation of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is vastly experienced at this standard compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after bagging a triple for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to convincing Arteta to secure the signing.

Relentless Effort

However having attracted criticism that he was out of shape after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker chased down every ball as if his career hung in the balance. Giménez was fooled into conceding a caution when Gyökeres ran into him on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his goal ruled out for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A sumptuous flick from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an hesitant shot towards goal. At that point it must have appeared that the breakthrough would elude him. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the forward with the disguise left his imprint. “With any luck this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.