🔗 Share this article

If Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the striker that every Arsenal supporters have been praying for, then maybe they will look back on this night as the juncture his luck shifted. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it doesn’t matter how they go in.

Following a streak of nine matches for club and country without a goal and expectations rising on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the close season, a huge wave of relief swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from close range via a deflection off David Hancko during a thrilling second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they are serious contenders this season.

Dramatic Turnaround in Fortune

Within moments and to the excitement of the home faithful, his mask celebration modeled after the villain Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “attention came only with the disguise,” was showcased again after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to finish the demolition against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta raised his fists and signaled enthusiastically in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the best was yet to come.

“Such is soccer, 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 ahead of the fixture. “Situations are not the same. All players in the world need one thing: their state of mind to be at its optimum. I informed Viktor in our first meeting that the No 9 I desired at Arsenal was someone who could remain strong psychologically when they faced a goal drought without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not cut out at this tier. That’s why I have a lot of faith in him.”

Formative Hurdles

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 build resilience to succeed in his vocation. Rebuked after a poor performance by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to succeed in elite soccer, he ended up being converted from a flank attacker into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I think about it often,” he said not long ago.

Challenging Spell

Having failed to score since the win over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his time in football. 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 achieved an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the problem is clearly not his goal conversion. As the manager has often noted, his overall contribution has given Arsenal an extra dimension in attack, even if the openings have not been in his favor.

Game Analysis

This was plainly visible during the opening period of this elite matchup between two teams that had initially seemed evenly matched. There was a impression that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to make an impact as he charged around like a disruptive presence during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was created by some clever dribbling on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his marker, 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 playing in only his second Champions League campaign after bagging a triple for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to influencing Arteta to take the plunge.

Unyielding Drive

However having faced scrutiny 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 life depended on it. Giménez was drawn into conceding a booking when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his goal ruled out for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his opening chance.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an weak effort towards goal. At that stage it must have seemed as if the opening goal would not arrive. But the dam burst when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the man in the mask made his mark. “Ideally this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.