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Should Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the striker that all Arsenal followers have been wishing for, then maybe they will look back on this night as the point his destiny shifted. According to the classic forward’s saying, it makes no difference how they go in.

Following a streak of nine matches for club and country without a goal and pressure mounting on the man signed for £64m in the offseason, a massive sense of release washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from point-blank via a ricochet 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 Fortune

Less than three minutes later and to the delight of the stadium crowd, his Bane-inspired gesture modeled after the villain Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was showcased again after kneeing in from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta punched the air and gestured animatedly in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“This is football, and we shouldn’t anticipate a player to switch environments and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Situations are not the same. Every footballer globally need one thing: their mental condition to be at its peak. I advised Viktor in our introductory chat that the striker I desired at Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they went six or eight games without scoring. Failing that, you’re not suited at this level. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Formative Hurdles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to build resilience to succeed in his selected career. Admonished 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 winger into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I think about it often,” he said in a recent interview.

Difficult Phase

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 career. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “unnoticeable.”

He recorded an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the problem is obviously not his finishing. As the manager has often noted, his all‑round play has added a new layer in attack, even if the chances have not come to him.

Game Analysis

This was clearly apparent during the initial 45 minutes of this top-level clash between two teams that had originally looked well-balanced. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was trying too hard to impress as he bustled about like a disruptive presence during the opening minutes. 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 skillfully evaded from his marker, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the air of a man who could create tension effortlessly 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 must have gone a long way to persuading Arteta to secure the signing.

Relentless Effort

However having attracted criticism that he was overweight after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker chased down every ball as if his life depended on it. Giménez was drawn into conceding a caution 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 created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an unconvincing toe-poke towards goal. Then it must have appeared that the breakthrough would never come. But the dam burst when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the masked striker left his imprint. “Ideally this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.