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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the striker that all Arsenal fans have been praying for, then maybe they will reflect on this night as the point his fortune shifted. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it makes no difference how they find the net.

Following a streak of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and expectations rising on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the offseason, a huge wave of relief swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from close range via a glance off David Hancko during a thrilling second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they mean business this season.

Stunning Reversal in Form

Within moments and to the joy of the stadium crowd, his face-covering routine inspired by the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “I was ignored before the mask,” was showcased again after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to finish the demolition against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta celebrated wildly and gestured animatedly in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“That’s the game, and we shouldn’t anticipate a player to move leagues 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. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their mental condition to be at its peak. I told Viktor in our first meeting that the No 9 I desired at Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they went six or eight games without scoring. If not, you’re not suited at this level. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.”

Youthful Struggles

It was as a 14-year-old playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his chosen profession. Criticised after a subpar outing by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to succeed in top-level football, he was eventually transformed from a winger into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I still remember it today,” he said in a recent interview.

Testing Period

Goal-shy since the triumph over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches of his career. Gyökeres was widely panned 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 managed an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the problem is evidently not his finishing. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his complete game has given Arsenal an extra dimension in attack, even if the opportunities have not been in his favor.

Key Moments

This was certainly in evidence during the initial 45 minutes of this elite matchup between two teams that had initially seemed closely contested. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to impress as he bustled about like a force of nature during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced on to the bar inside the initial stages was set up by some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his opponent, José María Giménez.

Giménez has the air of a man who could provoke conflict anywhere but is highly seasoned at this standard 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 must have gone a long way to influencing Arteta to make the move.

Unyielding Drive

Yet having drawn comments that he was overweight after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker harried all opponents as if his life depended on it. Giménez was drawn into conceding a yellow card when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having simply held his position. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

A brilliant pass from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an hesitant shot towards goal. At that stage it must have felt like the first score would not arrive. But the dam burst when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the man in the mask announced his presence. “Ideally this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.