🔗 Share this article

If Viktor Gyökeres develops into the attacker that each Arsenal supporters have been wishing for, then maybe they will look back on this night as the juncture his fortune shifted. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it doesn’t matter how they find the net.

After a run of nine matches for club and country without a goal and pressure mounting on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the summer, a massive sense of release engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from point-blank via a deflection off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they are serious contenders this season.

Dramatic Turnaround in Form

Shortly after and to the excitement of the home faithful, his Bane-inspired gesture inspired by the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was showcased again after kneeing in from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. Down on the touchline, Arteta celebrated wildly and motioned emphatically in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the peak performance awaited.

“That’s the game, and we shouldn’t anticipate a player to switch environments and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Circumstances vary greatly. All players in the world need one thing: their mental condition to be at its best. I advised Viktor in our first meeting that the striker I desired at Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Failing that, you’re not suited at this tier. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.”

Early Challenges

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first understood he would have to build resilience to thrive in his chosen profession. Admonished after a poor performance by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to make it in professional play, he ended up being converted from a winger into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I think about it often,” he said in a recent interview.

Difficult Phase

Having failed to score since the triumph over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches of his career. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were beaten by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “invisible.”

He recorded an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the problem is obviously not his finishing. As the manager has often noted, his all‑round play has added a new layer in the final third, even if the opportunities have not come to him.

Key Moments

This was clearly apparent during the opening period of this elite matchup between two teams that had initially seemed closely contested. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to impress as he ran aggressively like a force of nature 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 niftily took him away from his defender, José María Giménez.

The defender has the reputation of a man who could create tension effortlessly 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 probably significantly contributed to convincing Arteta to take the plunge.

Relentless Effort

However having attracted criticism that he was carrying a few too many pounds after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker chased down every ball as if his career hung in the balance. Giménez was tricked into conceding a yellow card when Gyökeres collided with 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 did not happen until later that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A brilliant pass from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an weak effort towards goal. At that point it must have felt like the first score would elude him. But the goals flowed when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the man in the mask announced his presence. “With any luck this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.