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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the striker that every Arsenal fans have been wishing for, then possibly they will recall this night as the moment his fortune changed. 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 his team and national side without a goal and pressure mounting 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 point-blank via a ricochet off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are serious contenders this season.

Remarkable Shift in Fortune

Within moments and to the delight of the local supporters, his mask celebration modeled after the villain Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “attention came only with the disguise,” was showcased again after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout 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 past two weeks insisting the best was yet to come.

“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 before this game. “Circumstances vary greatly. Every footballer globally need one thing: their psychological state to be at its best. I told Viktor in our introductory chat that the striker I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Failing that, you’re not good enough at this level. 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 southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to develop a thick skin to make it in his vocation. Rebuked after a poor performance by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to succeed in elite soccer, he was eventually transformed from a flank attacker into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered 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 career. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the last two weeks, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “invisible.”

He achieved an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the problem is evidently not his goal conversion. As the manager has often noted, his overall contribution has added a new layer in offense, even if the chances have not been in his favor.

Key Moments

This was plainly visible during the opening period of this top-level clash between two teams that had initially seemed well-balanced. There was a sense that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to stand out as he bustled about 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 sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his opponent, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the reputation of a man who could provoke conflict anywhere but is highly seasoned at this level 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 likely played a key role to influencing Arteta to take the plunge.

Unyielding Drive

Nevertheless having faced scrutiny that he was overweight after missing most of pre-season 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 booking when Gyökeres ran into him on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his effort disallowed for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it did not happen until later that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A brilliant pass from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an unconvincing toe-poke towards goal. Then it must have felt like the breakthrough would never come. But the dam burst when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the masked striker left his imprint. “With any luck this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.