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If Viktor Gyökeres develops into the striker that all Arsenal followers have been wishing for, then possibly they will look back on this night as the moment his destiny changed. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it doesn’t matter how they go in.

After a run of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and expectations rising on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the close season, a massive sense of release engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from point-blank via a ricochet off David Hancko during a electrifying 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 home faithful, his Bane-inspired gesture borrowed from the character Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “attention came only with the disguise,” was showcased again 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 recent signing, 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 do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Circumstances vary greatly. Every footballer globally need one thing: their state of mind to be at its optimum. I told Viktor in our initial discussion that the center forward I desired at Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they faced a goal drought without scoring. If not, you’re not suited 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 southside districts, that Gyökeres first recognized he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his vocation. Criticised after a disappointing display by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to succeed in professional play, he was eventually transformed from a winger into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I think about it often,” he said in a recent interview.

Difficult Phase

Having failed to score since the win over Nottingham Forest here back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his professional life. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were beaten 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 recorded an remarkable 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 complete game has added a new layer in offense, even if the chances have not fallen his way.

Game Analysis

This was certainly in evidence during the first half of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had initially seemed well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to stand out as he bustled about like a bull in a china shop during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was set up by some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that niftily took him away from his marker, José María Giménez.

The defender has the air of a man who could provoke conflict anywhere but is highly seasoned at this stage 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 persuading Arteta to make the move.

Relentless Effort

Yet having attracted criticism that he was carrying a few too many pounds after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker pursued each opportunity as if his future was at stake. Giménez was fooled into conceding a yellow card when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having simply held his position. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

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 appeared that the breakthrough would not arrive. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the forward with the disguise made his mark. “Ideally this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.