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If Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the forward that each Arsenal fans have been praying for, then perhaps they will reflect on this night as the point his fortune shifted. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it makes no difference how they go in.

After a run of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and pressure mounting on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the summer, a massive sense of release washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from close range via a glance off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side demonstrated once more that they mean business this season.

Stunning Reversal in Luck

Shortly after and to the excitement of the stadium crowd, his face-covering routine modeled after the character Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase 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 finish the demolition against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta punched the air and motioned emphatically in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“This is football, and we must not assume a player to change contexts and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Things are very different. Every footballer globally need one thing: their psychological state to be at its peak. I informed Viktor in our initial discussion that the center forward I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they faced a goal drought without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not cut out at this tier. That’s why I have a lot of faith 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 succeed in his vocation. Rebuked after a subpar outing by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to succeed in elite soccer, he was eventually transformed from a winger into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I think about it often,” he said not long ago.

Difficult Phase

Without a goal since the triumph over Nottingham Forest here back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches of his career. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were overcome 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 recorded an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the issue is clearly not his finishing. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his all‑round play has added a new layer in offense, even if the chances have not been in his favor.

Key Moments

This was plainly visible during the first half of this top-level clash between two teams that had at first appeared evenly matched. There was a impression that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to make an impact as he charged around like a disruptive presence during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the first few moments was created by some clever dribbling on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his defender, José María Giménez.

The defender has the reputation of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is deeply knowledgeable at this stage 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 persuading Arteta to secure the signing.

Constant Hustle

Yet having faced scrutiny that he was out of shape after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker pursued each opportunity as if his future was at stake. Giménez was fooled into conceding a yellow card when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his effort disallowed for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A brilliant pass from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an hesitant shot towards goal. At that stage it must have seemed as if the breakthrough would not arrive. But the goals flowed when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the forward with the disguise made his mark. “Hopefully this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.