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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the striker that every Arsenal followers have been wishing for, then possibly they will look back on this night as the juncture his fortune turned around. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it isn’t important 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 brought in for a substantial sum in the close season, a huge wave of relief washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from near distance via a deflection off David Hancko during a thrilling second half when Mikel Arteta’s side demonstrated once more that they are serious contenders this season.

Remarkable Shift in Form

Shortly after and to the joy of the home faithful, his mask celebration modeled after the villain Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was repeated once more 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 recent signing, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“This is football, and we can’t expect a player to switch environments and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Situations are not the same. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their mental condition to be at its best. I told Viktor in our first meeting that the center forward I sought for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they went six or eight games without scoring. If not, you’re not good enough at this level. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Youthful Struggles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to toughen up to make it in his vocation. Criticised after a subpar outing by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to make it in top-level football, he ended up being converted from a flank attacker into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I still remember it today,” he said not long ago.

Testing Period

Without a goal since the win over Nottingham Forest at home 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 beaten by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper characterizing his outing against the latter as “invisible.”

He managed an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the issue is evidently not his goal conversion. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his complete game has added a new layer in attack, even if the opportunities have not come to him.

Match Highlights

This was plainly visible during the opening period of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had initially seemed well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to stand out as he ran aggressively like a force of nature during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced on to the bar inside the initial stages was set up by some clever dribbling on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his opponent, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the air of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is highly seasoned at this stage 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 must have gone a long way to convincing Arteta to make the move.

Unyielding Drive

However having drawn comments that he was out of shape after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker chased down every ball as if his life depended on it. Giménez was drawn into conceding a booking when Gyökeres made contact on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his goal ruled out for offside after tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his opening chance.

A brilliant pass from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an weak effort towards goal. Then it must have appeared that the first score would never come. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the forward with the disguise announced his presence. “Hopefully this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.