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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the striker that every Arsenal supporters have been hoping for, then possibly they will reflect on this night as the moment his fortune turned around. As the old striker’s mantra goes, 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 expectations rising on the man signed for £64m in the close season, a huge wave of relief washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from point-blank via a glance off David Hancko during a thrilling second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are serious contenders this season.

Dramatic Turnaround in Luck

Within moments and to the excitement of the stadium crowd, his face-covering routine modeled after the villain Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was showcased again after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta raised his fists and motioned emphatically in the direction of his recent signing, of whom he has spent the past two weeks insisting the best was yet to come.

“This is football, and we must not assume a player to switch environments and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Circumstances vary greatly. All players in the world need one thing: their mental condition to be at its peak. I informed Viktor in our first meeting that the No 9 I desired at Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they went six or eight games without scoring. If not, you’re not cut out at this standard. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Youthful Struggles

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to toughen up to make it in his chosen profession. Criticised after a poor performance by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to succeed in top-level football, he ultimately switched from a flank attacker into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I still remember it today,” he said in a recent interview.

Challenging Spell

Without a goal since the win over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his career. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “absent.”

He recorded an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the problem is evidently not his scoring ability. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his all‑round play has given Arsenal an extra dimension in the final third, even if the openings have not been in his favor.

Match Highlights

This was certainly in evidence during the first half of this top-level clash between two teams that had at first appeared closely contested. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was pressing too much to impress as he ran aggressively like a bull in a china shop during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the initial stages was originated from some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his marker, José María Giménez.

The defender has the air of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is highly seasoned at this stage compared with Gyökeres, who is competing in merely his second Champions League campaign after bagging a triple for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to convincing Arteta to secure the signing.

Unyielding Drive

Yet having attracted criticism that he was carrying a few too many pounds after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker pursued each opportunity as if his career hung in the balance. Giménez was tricked into conceding a yellow card 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 tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an hesitant shot towards goal. At that stage it must have appeared that the breakthrough would not arrive. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the masked striker made his mark. “Hopefully this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.