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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the striker that each Arsenal followers have been praying for, then perhaps they will look back on this night as the point his luck turned around. According to the classic forward’s saying, it isn’t important how they hit the back of the net.

After a run of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and expectations rising on the man signed for £64m in the offseason, a tremendous feeling of ease swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from point-blank via a ricochet off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side demonstrated once more that they are here to compete this season.

Stunning Reversal in Luck

Shortly after and to the delight of the local supporters, his Bane-inspired gesture borrowed from the character Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was showcased again after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. Down on the touchline, Arteta raised his fists and motioned emphatically in the direction of his recent signing, 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 move leagues and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Situations are not the same. Every footballer globally need one thing: their state of mind to be at its optimum. I informed Viktor in our initial discussion that the No 9 I desired at Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. If not, you’re not good enough at this level. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Youthful Struggles

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to build resilience to succeed in his selected career. Criticised after a subpar outing by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to succeed in elite soccer, he was eventually transformed from a wide player into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I still remember it today,” he said recently.

Testing Period

Without a goal 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 sharply rebuked after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, 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 scoring ability. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his overall contribution has given Arsenal an extra dimension in offense, even if the chances have not come to him.

Match Highlights

This was certainly in evidence during the opening period of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had originally looked closely contested. There was a impression that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to make an impact as he bustled about like a disruptive presence during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced on to the bar inside the initial stages was originated from some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his marker, José María Giménez.

Giménez has the reputation of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is deeply knowledgeable at this standard compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to convincing Arteta to make the move.

Constant Hustle

Yet having faced scrutiny that he was out of shape after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker chased down every ball as if his career hung in the balance. Giménez was fooled into conceding a booking when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled 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 created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an weak effort towards goal. At that point it must have felt like the opening goal would not arrive. But the dam burst when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the man in the mask made his mark. “Hopefully this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.