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If Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the forward that all Arsenal followers have been hoping for, then maybe they will reflect on this night as the juncture his luck turned around. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it makes no difference how they hit the back of the net.

On the back of nine matches for club and country without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man signed for £64m in the offseason, a massive sense of release washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from close range via a glance off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are here to compete this season.

Stunning Reversal in Fortune

Within moments and to the delight of the local supporters, his Bane-inspired gesture inspired by the character Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “attention came only with the disguise,” was repeated once more after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta punched the air and signaled enthusiastically in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the past two weeks insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“Such is soccer, and we shouldn’t anticipate a player to move leagues and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Things are very different. All players in the world need one thing: their state of mind to be at its best. I advised Viktor in our introductory chat that the center forward I sought for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they went six or eight games without scoring. Failing that, you’re not cut out at this standard. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.”

Youthful Struggles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first understood he would have to toughen up to thrive in his chosen profession. Rebuked after a subpar outing by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to excel in top-level football, he ultimately switched from a winger 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.

Difficult Phase

Having failed to score since the triumph over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his professional life. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, with one newspaper characterizing his outing against the latter as “unnoticeable.”

He managed an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the difficulty is clearly not his goal conversion. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his all‑round play has provided additional depth in the final third, even if the opportunities have not come to him.

Key Moments

This was certainly in evidence during the initial 45 minutes of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had initially seemed closely contested. There was a sense that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to make an impact as he ran aggressively like a force of nature during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was originated from some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that niftily took him away from his opponent, José María Giménez.

The defender has the air of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is deeply knowledgeable at this level compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after netting three goals for Sporting against Manchester City last season that probably significantly contributed to influencing Arteta to take the plunge.

Relentless Effort

However having attracted criticism that he was carrying a few too many pounds after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker pursued each opportunity as if his future was at stake. Giménez was drawn 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 goal ruled out for offside after tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it did not happen until later that the Swede had his opening chance.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an hesitant shot towards goal. Then it must have seemed as if the breakthrough would elude him. 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. “Hopefully this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.