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If Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the forward that every Arsenal supporters have been wishing for, then perhaps they will look back on this night as the point his destiny turned around. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it isn’t important 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 brought in for a substantial sum in the summer, a tremendous feeling of ease washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from near distance via a glance off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side demonstrated once more that they are here to compete this season.

Stunning Reversal in Fortune

Shortly after and to the joy of the stadium crowd, his mask celebration borrowed from the villain Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was given another airing after kneeing in from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to finish the demolition against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta raised his fists and signaled enthusiastically 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 can’t expect a player to change contexts and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Things are very different. All players in the world need one thing: their psychological state to be at its peak. I told Viktor in our introductory chat that the center forward I desired at Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they faced a goal drought without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not suited at this level. That’s why I have a great belief 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 realised he would have to develop a thick skin to make it in his selected career. Admonished after a poor performance by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to make it in top-level football, he ended up being converted from a flank attacker into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I think about it often,” he said not long ago.

Difficult Phase

Goal-shy since the victory against Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his professional life. Gyökeres was widely panned after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the past fortnight, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “invisible.”

He managed an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the issue is evidently not his finishing. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his complete game has added a new layer in offense, even if the opportunities have not come to him.

Game Analysis

This was plainly visible during the first half of this elite matchup between two teams that had at first appeared evenly matched. There was a impression that Gyökeres was trying too hard to impress as he bustled about 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 set up by some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his defender, 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 stage compared with Gyökeres, who is competing in merely his second Champions League campaign after netting three goals for Sporting against Manchester City last season that must have gone a long way to influencing Arteta to secure the signing.

Relentless Effort

Yet having faced scrutiny that he was carrying a few too many pounds after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker pursued each opportunity as if his life depended on it. Giménez was tricked into conceding a yellow card when Gyökeres made contact 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 wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his opening chance.

A sumptuous flick from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an hesitant shot towards goal. At that stage it must have felt like the first score would never come. But the goals flowed when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the man in the mask announced his presence. “With any luck this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.