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If Viktor Gyökeres develops into the attacker that all Arsenal fans have been wishing for, then maybe they will recall this night as the moment his fortune changed. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it doesn’t matter how they hit the back of the net.

After a run of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the summer, a huge wave of relief swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from near distance via a deflection off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they are here to compete this season.

Stunning Reversal in Form

Shortly after and to the excitement of the stadium crowd, his Bane-inspired gesture modeled after the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “attention came only with the disguise,” was showcased again after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to finish the demolition against Atlético Madrid. Down on the touchline, Arteta celebrated wildly and gestured animatedly in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the best was yet to come.

“This is football, and we shouldn’t anticipate a player to move leagues and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Situations are not the same. All players in the world need one thing: their psychological state to be at its peak. I told Viktor in our first meeting that the center forward I desired at Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they faced a goal drought without scoring. Failing that, you’re not suited at this tier. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Early Challenges

It was as a 14-year-old playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his chosen profession. Admonished after a disappointing display by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to succeed in top-level football, he ultimately switched from a winger into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I still remember it today,” he said not long ago.

Difficult Phase

Having failed to score since the triumph over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his time in football. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the past fortnight, with one newspaper characterizing his outing against the latter as “absent.”

He achieved an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the difficulty is clearly not his finishing. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his complete game has given Arsenal an extra dimension in attack, even if the opportunities have not been in his favor.

Key Moments

This was plainly visible during the first half of this elite matchup between two teams that had originally looked well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was trying too hard to impress as he ran aggressively like a disruptive presence during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was set up by some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his defender, José María Giménez.

Giménez has the air of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is vastly experienced 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 persuading Arteta to secure the signing.

Unyielding Drive

Nevertheless having attracted criticism that he was carrying a few too many pounds after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker chased down every ball as if his life depended on it. Giménez was fooled into conceding a caution when Gyökeres ran into him on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his goal ruled out for offside after finishing 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 unconvincing toe-poke towards goal. Then it must have felt like the first score would not arrive. But the goals flowed when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the masked striker announced his presence. “With any luck this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.