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Should Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the forward that every Arsenal fans have been hoping for, then possibly they will reflect on this night as the point his destiny shifted. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it makes no difference 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 acquired for a hefty fee in the offseason, a tremendous feeling of ease engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided 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 Fortune

Less than three minutes later and to the excitement of the local supporters, his face-covering routine inspired by the villain Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “attention came only with the disguise,” was given another airing after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. Down on the touchline, Arteta raised his fists and motioned emphatically in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the past two weeks insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“This is football, and we shouldn’t anticipate a player to switch environments and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Things are very different. All players in the world need one thing: their psychological state to be at its best. I told Viktor in our first meeting that the No 9 I sought for Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they faced a goal drought without scoring. Failing that, you’re not suited at this tier. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Early Challenges

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to build resilience to make it in his chosen profession. Criticised after a disappointing display by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to excel in top-level football, he was eventually transformed from a winger into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I recall it now,” he said not long ago.

Testing Period

Goal-shy since the triumph over Nottingham Forest at home back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his professional life. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were beaten by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the past fortnight, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “invisible.”

He achieved an incredible 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 overall contribution has provided additional depth in attack, even if the opportunities have not come to him.

Match Highlights

This was plainly visible during the initial 45 minutes of this top-level clash between two teams that had initially seemed well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was pressing too much to stand out as he charged around like a disruptive presence during the beginning phase. 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 skillfully evaded from his opponent, José María Giménez.

Giménez has the aura of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is vastly experienced at this stage 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 must have gone a long way to convincing Arteta to secure the signing.

Constant Hustle

However having drawn comments that he was out of shape after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker pursued each opportunity as if his future was at stake. Giménez was drawn into conceding a booking 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 finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it did not happen until later that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an weak effort towards goal. At that stage it must have felt like the opening goal would never come. But the dam burst when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the masked striker made his mark. “Ideally this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.