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If Viktor Gyökeres develops into the forward that each Arsenal fans have been hoping for, then possibly they will recall this night as the juncture his fortune turned around. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it doesn’t matter how they hit the back of the net.

Following a streak of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and pressure mounting on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the summer, a tremendous feeling of ease engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from point-blank via a glance off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they are serious contenders this season.

Stunning Reversal in Luck

Within moments and to the delight of the home faithful, his mask celebration borrowed from the villain Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “I was ignored before the mask,” was showcased again after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta celebrated wildly 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.

“Such is soccer, and we must not assume a player to change contexts and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Things are very different. All players in the world need one thing: their state of mind to be at its best. I told Viktor in our introductory chat that the center forward I desired at Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they went six or eight games without scoring. If not, you’re not cut out at this level. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Formative Hurdles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to toughen up to thrive in his selected career. Criticised after a disappointing display by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to make it in top-level football, he ended up being converted from a winger into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “That one stuck with me and I still remember it today,” he said recently.

Difficult Phase

Goal-shy since the triumph over Nottingham Forest at home back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his career. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the past fortnight, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “absent.”

He managed an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the problem is evidently not his goal conversion. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his overall contribution has provided additional depth in attack, even if the chances have not been in his favor.

Game Analysis

This was plainly visible during the opening period of this top-level clash between two teams that had originally looked closely contested. There was a sense that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to make an impact as he bustled about like a disruptive presence during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the initial stages was set up by some clever dribbling on the edge of the Atlético area that niftily took him away from his opponent, José María Giménez.

The defender has the aura of a man who could create tension effortlessly but is vastly experienced at this level compared with Gyökeres, who is playing in only his second Champions League campaign after scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that probably significantly contributed to convincing Arteta to take the plunge.

Constant Hustle

Yet having faced scrutiny that he was out of shape after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker harried all opponents as if his future was at stake. Giménez was drawn into conceding a yellow card 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 only came in the second half that the Swede had his opening chance.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to quickly smother an hesitant shot towards goal. At that stage it must have appeared that the opening goal would never come. But the dam burst when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was able to take full advantage as the man in the mask left his imprint. “Hopefully this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.