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If Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the forward that every Arsenal fans have been praying for, then perhaps they will reflect on this night as the juncture his destiny shifted. According to the classic forward’s saying, it makes no difference how they hit the back of the net.

On the back of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the offseason, a massive sense of release swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from near distance via a ricochet off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side demonstrated once more that they are here to compete this season.

Dramatic Turnaround in Form

Less than three minutes later and to the joy of the stadium crowd, his Bane-inspired gesture modeled after the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “nobody cared until I put on 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. From the technical area, Arteta celebrated wildly and gestured animatedly in the direction of his recent signing, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“That’s the game, and we must not assume a player to switch environments and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Circumstances vary greatly. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their psychological state to be at its best. I informed Viktor in our initial discussion that the center forward I sought for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they faced a goal drought without scoring. Failing that, you’re not cut out at this tier. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Youthful Struggles

It was as a 14-year-old playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his selected career. Rebuked after a poor performance by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to make it 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 in a recent interview.

Challenging Spell

Goal-shy since the win over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his professional life. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were beaten by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “absent.”

He recorded an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the issue is obviously not his goal conversion. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his overall contribution has provided additional depth in offense, even if the openings 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 evenly matched. There was a sense that Gyökeres was trying too hard to stand out as he charged around like a disruptive presence during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced on to the bar inside the first few moments was set up by some clever dribbling on the edge of the Atlético area that niftily took him away from his marker, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the reputation of a man who could provoke conflict anywhere but is deeply knowledgeable at this level 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 must have gone a long way to influencing Arteta to secure the signing.

Constant Hustle

Nevertheless having attracted criticism that he was carrying a few too many pounds after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker chased down every ball as if his career hung in the balance. Giménez was drawn into conceding a caution when Gyökeres ran into him on the edge of the Atlético area having simply held his position. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it did not happen until later that the Swede had his opening chance.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, 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 never come. But the dam burst when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the man in the mask announced his presence. “Hopefully this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.