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Should Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the striker that each Arsenal supporters have been hoping for, then perhaps they will reflect on this night as the moment his luck shifted. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it isn’t important how they find the net.

After a run of nine matches for club and country without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the offseason, a tremendous feeling of ease washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from close range via a deflection off David Hancko during a thrilling second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are here to compete this season.

Stunning Reversal in Form

Shortly after and to the excitement of the home faithful, his mask celebration modeled after 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. On the sidelines, 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 must not assume 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 before this game. “Things are very different. Every footballer globally need one thing: their mental condition to be at its peak. I advised Viktor in our initial discussion that the striker I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they went six or eight games without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not cut out at this tier. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Youthful Struggles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his vocation. Rebuked after a subpar outing by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to succeed in professional play, he ultimately switched from a wide player into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I still remember it today,” he said recently.

Difficult Phase

Without a goal since the triumph over Nottingham Forest here back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his professional life. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “invisible.”

He managed an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the issue is clearly not his goal conversion. As the manager has often noted, his all‑round play has added a new layer in the final third, even if the chances have not fallen his way.

Match Highlights

This was plainly visible during the first half of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had originally looked well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was pressing too much to stand out as he charged around like a disruptive presence during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the first few moments was created by some quick moves 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 provoke conflict anywhere but is deeply knowledgeable at this level compared with Gyökeres, who is competing in merely his second Champions League campaign after bagging a triple for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to persuading Arteta to secure the signing.

Constant Hustle

Yet having attracted criticism that he was overweight after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker harried all opponents as if his future was at stake. Giménez was fooled into conceding a yellow card 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 only came in the second half that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an weak effort towards goal. At that point it must have seemed as if the first score would elude him. But the goals flowed when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the forward with the disguise made his mark. “Ideally this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.