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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres develops into the attacker that every Arsenal supporters have been hoping for, then maybe they will recall this night as the juncture his fortune shifted. 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 expectations rising on the man signed for £64m in the summer, a tremendous feeling of ease washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from close range via a deflection off David Hancko during a thrilling second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are here to compete this season.

Stunning Reversal in Luck

Within moments and to the delight of the local supporters, his face-covering routine modeled after the character Bane in Batman, whose signature quote 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 finish the demolition against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta punched the air and gestured animatedly in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the best was yet to come.

“Such is soccer, and we must not assume a player to move leagues and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Situations are not the same. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their state of mind to be at its best. I informed Viktor in our introductory chat that the No 9 I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not cut out at this level. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Early Challenges

It was as a 14-year-old playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first understood he would have to toughen up to thrive in his vocation. Rebuked after a disappointing display by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to excel in professional play, he ultimately switched from a winger into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I still remember it today,” he said recently.

Testing Period

Goal-shy since the win over Nottingham Forest at home back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches of his time in football. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “unnoticeable.”

He achieved an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the problem is obviously not his goal conversion. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his overall contribution has added a new layer in the final third, even if the chances have not been in his favor.

Key Moments

This was plainly visible during the first half of this elite matchup between two teams that had initially seemed well-balanced. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was trying too hard to make an impact as he ran aggressively like a force of nature during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the initial stages was originated from some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his opponent, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the air of a man who could provoke conflict anywhere but is deeply knowledgeable at this level compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after bagging a triple for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to persuading Arteta to secure the signing.

Constant Hustle

Nevertheless having drawn comments that he was out of shape after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker harried all opponents as if his future was at stake. Giménez was fooled into conceding a booking when Gyökeres ran into him 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 only came in the second half that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A sumptuous flick from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an unconvincing toe-poke towards goal. Then it must have appeared that the first score would elude him. But the dam burst when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the man in the mask made his mark. “Hopefully this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.