🔗 Share this article

In the event that Viktor Gyökeres develops into the attacker that all Arsenal fans have been praying for, then possibly they will reflect on this night as the moment his destiny shifted. According to the classic forward’s saying, it doesn’t matter how they go in.

After a run of nine matches for club and country without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the summer, a huge wave of relief engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from near distance via a deflection off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side demonstrated once more that they are here to compete this season.

Remarkable Shift in Fortune

Within moments and to the joy of the home faithful, his Bane-inspired gesture borrowed from the character Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “attention came only with the disguise,” was showcased again after kneeing in from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta celebrated wildly and motioned emphatically in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“That’s the game, and we can’t expect a player to change contexts and have him replicate his form immediately,” 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 mental condition to be at its peak. I advised Viktor in our initial discussion that the center forward I sought for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not cut out 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 located in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to build resilience to make it in his chosen profession. Admonished after a poor performance by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to excel in professional play, he was eventually transformed from a flank attacker into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I think about it often,” he said recently.

Difficult Phase

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

He managed an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the issue is evidently not his finishing. As the manager has often noted, his complete game has given Arsenal an extra dimension in attack, even if the openings have not fallen his way.

Match Highlights

This was clearly apparent during the opening period of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had at first appeared well-balanced. There was a sense that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to impress as he ran aggressively like a bull in a china shop during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced on to the bar inside the initial stages was created by some clever dribbling on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his opponent, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the aura of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is vastly experienced at this level compared with Gyökeres, who is competing in merely his second Champions League campaign after scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that probably significantly contributed to persuading Arteta to secure the signing.

Constant Hustle

Nevertheless having faced scrutiny that he was carrying a few too many pounds after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker harried all opponents as if his future was at stake. Giménez was fooled 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 tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his opening chance.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an weak effort towards goal. At that point it must have felt like the first score would elude him. But the goals flowed when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the forward with the disguise made his mark. “With any luck this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.