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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the striker that all Arsenal followers have been wishing for, then perhaps they will recall this night as the point his luck changed. According to the classic forward’s saying, it doesn’t matter how they hit the back of the net.

After a run of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and pressure mounting on the man signed for £64m in the summer, a massive sense of release engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from near distance via a ricochet off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they mean business this season.

Remarkable Shift in Luck

Within moments and to the delight of the stadium crowd, his Bane-inspired gesture inspired by the villain Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “I was ignored before the mask,” was showcased again after kneeing in from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta celebrated wildly and gestured animatedly in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the best was yet to come.

“Such is soccer, and we must not assume 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 prior to the match. “Situations are not the same. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their psychological state to be at its peak. I told Viktor in our first meeting that the center forward I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not good enough at this level. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.”

Formative Hurdles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to develop a thick skin to make it in his vocation. Criticised after a poor performance by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to succeed in elite soccer, he ultimately switched from a wide player into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I recall it now,” he said recently.

Difficult Phase

Without a goal since the triumph over Nottingham Forest in London 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 labeling his display against the latter as “unnoticeable.”

He managed an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments 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 offense, even if the opportunities have not fallen his way.

Match Highlights

This was certainly in evidence during the first half of this elite matchup between two teams that had originally looked evenly matched. There was a impression that Gyökeres was pressing too much to make an impact as he charged around like a disruptive presence during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the first few moments was originated from some clever dribbling 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 provoke conflict anywhere but is deeply knowledgeable at this stage compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after netting three goals for Sporting against Manchester City last season that must have gone a long way to persuading Arteta to make the move.

Relentless Effort

However having faced scrutiny that he was carrying a few too many pounds after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker pursued each opportunity as if his life depended on it. Giménez was drawn 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 effort disallowed for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it did not happen until later that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an hesitant shot towards goal. Then it must have appeared that the breakthrough would not arrive. But the goals flowed when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the man in the mask announced his presence. “Ideally this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.