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Should Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the attacker that each Arsenal supporters have been hoping for, then perhaps they will reflect on this night as the point his fortune shifted. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it makes no difference how they find 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 summer, a tremendous feeling of ease washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from near distance 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.

Remarkable Shift in Form

Within moments and to the joy of the home faithful, his mask celebration inspired by the villain Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “I was ignored before the mask,” was given another airing after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. Down on the touchline, Arteta raised his fists and signaled enthusiastically in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“Such is soccer, and we must not assume a player to move leagues and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Situations are not the same. Every footballer globally need one thing: their state of mind to be at its optimum. I told Viktor in our initial discussion that the No 9 I sought for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not good enough at this level. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Formative Hurdles

It was as a 14-year-old playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to build resilience to succeed in his vocation. Rebuked 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 flank attacker into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I still remember it today,” he said not long ago.

Difficult Phase

Without a goal since the win over Nottingham Forest here back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods 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 characterizing his outing against the latter as “unnoticeable.”

He achieved an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the problem is clearly not his finishing. 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.

Key Moments

This was clearly apparent during the initial 45 minutes of this top-level clash between two teams that had originally looked evenly matched. There was a impression that Gyökeres was trying too hard to stand out as he ran aggressively like a disruptive presence during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the initial stages was set up by some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his marker, José María Giménez.

The defender has the aura of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is highly seasoned at this standard compared with Gyökeres, who is competing in merely his second Champions League campaign after netting three goals for Sporting against Manchester City last season that probably significantly contributed to influencing Arteta to take the plunge.

Unyielding Drive

Nevertheless having attracted criticism that he was overweight after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker chased down every ball as if his career hung in the balance. Giménez was tricked into conceding a booking when Gyökeres made contact on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his effort disallowed for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A brilliant pass from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an hesitant shot towards goal. Then it must have seemed as if the breakthrough would never come. But the goals flowed when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the man in the mask made his mark. “With any luck this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.