🔗 Share this article

In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the attacker that all Arsenal followers have been hoping for, then maybe they will recall this night as the point his luck changed. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it doesn’t matter how they go in.

Following a streak of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the offseason, a tremendous feeling of ease swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from close range via a glance off David Hancko during a thrilling second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are serious contenders this season.

Remarkable Shift in Luck

Shortly after and to the joy of the home faithful, his face-covering routine borrowed from the villain Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “attention came only with the disguise,” was showcased again after bundling over from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta celebrated wildly and gestured animatedly in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the best was yet to come.

“That’s the game, and we must not assume a player to switch environments and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “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 first meeting that the No 9 I wanted for 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 tier. 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 located in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to toughen up to thrive in his chosen profession. Admonished after a poor performance by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to make it in elite soccer, he ultimately switched from a winger into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I think about it often,” he said recently.

Testing Period

Goal-shy since the triumph over Nottingham Forest at home back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches of his time in football. 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 “invisible.”

He recorded an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the problem is evidently not his scoring ability. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his overall contribution has added a new layer in attack, even if the chances have not come to him.

Key Moments

This was clearly apparent during the initial 45 minutes of this elite matchup between two teams that had originally looked closely contested. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was trying too hard to make an impact as he ran aggressively like a disruptive presence during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the initial stages was created by some clever dribbling 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 provoke conflict anywhere but is vastly experienced at this stage compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after netting three goals for Sporting against Manchester City last season that must have gone a long way to convincing Arteta to take the plunge.

Constant Hustle

Nevertheless 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 chased down every ball as if his career hung in the balance. 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 tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an weak effort towards goal. At that stage it must have seemed as if the first score would not arrive. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the forward with the disguise made his mark. “Hopefully this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.