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Should Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the attacker that each Arsenal supporters have been wishing for, then possibly they will recall this night as the point his fortune shifted. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it makes no difference how they go in.

After a run of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the close season, a huge wave of relief swept 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 demonstrated once more that they are serious contenders this season.

Stunning Reversal in Form

Within moments and to the delight of the home faithful, his Bane-inspired gesture modeled after the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was repeated once more after kneeing in from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta punched the air and motioned emphatically in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the peak performance awaited.

“That’s the game, and we can’t expect a player to move leagues and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “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 first meeting that the No 9 I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they faced a goal drought without scoring. If not, you’re not good enough at this level. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Formative Hurdles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first understood he would have to toughen up to make it in his vocation. Criticised after a poor performance by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to make it in professional play, he ended up being converted from a wide player into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I think about it often,” he said in a recent interview.

Difficult Phase

Having failed to score since the win over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his professional life. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked 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 “unnoticeable.”

He achieved an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the issue is obviously not his finishing. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his overall contribution has provided additional depth in attack, even if the openings have not come to him.

Game Analysis

This was clearly apparent during the first half of this top-level clash between two teams that had initially seemed closely contested. There was a impression that Gyökeres was pressing too much to impress as he charged around like a disruptive presence during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced 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 marker, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the aura of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is highly seasoned at this standard compared with Gyökeres, who is playing in only his second Champions League campaign after scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that probably significantly contributed to influencing Arteta to make the move.

Unyielding Drive

Yet having drawn comments that he was carrying a few too many pounds after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker harried all opponents as if his career hung in the balance. Giménez was tricked into conceding a yellow card when Gyökeres made contact on the edge of the Atlético area having simply held his position. Gabriel Martinelli saw his effort disallowed for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his opening chance.

A brilliant pass from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an hesitant shot towards goal. Then it must have seemed as if the opening goal would elude him. But the dam burst when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the forward with the disguise left his imprint. “With any luck this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.