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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the forward that all Arsenal fans have been praying for, then perhaps they will reflect on this night as the point his fortune turned around. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it isn’t important how they find the net.

After a run of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the summer, a tremendous feeling of ease washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from near distance via a ricochet off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they are here to compete this season.

Remarkable Shift in Form

Shortly after and to the joy of the local supporters, his Bane-inspired gesture inspired by the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “attention came only with the disguise,” was given another airing after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. Down on the touchline, Arteta punched the air and gestured animatedly in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the best was yet to come.

“That’s the game, and we must not assume a player to move leagues and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Things are very different. All players in the world need one thing: their psychological state to be at its peak. 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. Failing that, you’re not cut out at this standard. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Youthful Struggles

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are located in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his selected career. Admonished after a poor performance by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to succeed in top-level football, he was eventually transformed from a wide player into a striker after signing for Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I recall it now,” he said in a recent interview.

Challenging Spell

Having failed to score since the victory against Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his time in football. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “absent.”

He managed an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the problem is clearly not his scoring ability. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his all‑round play has provided additional depth in attack, even if the openings have not come to him.

Match Highlights

This was certainly in evidence during the initial 45 minutes of this elite matchup between two teams that had initially seemed well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was pressing too much to stand out as he charged around like a disruptive presence during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the initial stages was created by some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his marker, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the aura of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is vastly experienced at this stage 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 must have gone a long way to convincing Arteta to secure the signing.

Unyielding Drive

However having attracted criticism that he was overweight after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker chased down every ball as if his future was at stake. Giménez was fooled into conceding a caution when Gyökeres made contact on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A sumptuous flick from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an weak effort towards goal. At that point it must have seemed as if the breakthrough 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 masked striker made his mark. “Hopefully this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.