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Should Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the forward that each Arsenal supporters have been wishing for, then maybe they will look back on this night as the juncture his fortune turned around. According to the classic forward’s saying, it isn’t important how they hit the back of the net.

Following a streak of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and pressure mounting on the man signed for £64m in the close season, a huge wave of relief engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from close range via a ricochet off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they are here to compete this season.

Remarkable Shift in Fortune

Within moments and to the joy of the local supporters, his face-covering routine borrowed from the character Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “attention came only with the disguise,” 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 punched the air and motioned emphatically in the direction of his recent signing, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the best was yet to come.

“Such is soccer, and we must not assume a player to change contexts and have him do the same thing instantly,” 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 state of mind to be at its optimum. I informed Viktor in our introductory chat that the striker I sought for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Failing that, you’re not good enough at this standard. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.”

Early Challenges

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to toughen up to thrive in his vocation. Rebuked after a disappointing display by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to excel in elite soccer, he ended up being converted from a flank attacker into a striker after moving to 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 in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his career. Gyökeres was widely panned 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 recorded an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the difficulty is evidently not his goal conversion. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his all‑round play has given Arsenal an extra dimension in attack, even if the chances have not been in his favor.

Match Highlights

This was clearly apparent during the first half of this top-level clash between two teams that had originally looked well-balanced. There was a sense that Gyökeres was pressing too much to impress as he bustled about like a force of nature during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the first few moments was created by some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his opponent, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the air of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is vastly experienced at this stage compared with Gyökeres, who is playing in only his second Champions League campaign after netting three goals for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to convincing Arteta to make the move.

Unyielding Drive

Yet having drawn comments that he was out of shape after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker chased down every ball 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 simply held his position. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

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 appeared that the first score would never come. But the goals flowed when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the man in the mask announced his presence. “Hopefully this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.