🔗 Share this article

In the event that Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the forward that every Arsenal fans have been praying for, then maybe they will reflect on this night as the moment his fortune shifted. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it isn’t important how they hit the back of the net.

After a run of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden 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 close range via a glance off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they are serious contenders this season.

Dramatic Turnaround in Form

Shortly after and to the joy of the stadium crowd, his mask celebration modeled after the villain Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was repeated once more after kneeing in from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to finish the demolition against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta punched the air and gestured animatedly in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the last fortnight insisting the peak performance awaited.

“Such is soccer, and we can’t expect a player to switch environments and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Things are very different. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their state of mind to be at its optimum. I advised Viktor in our introductory chat that the striker I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they faced a goal drought without scoring. If not, you’re not good enough at this standard. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Early Challenges

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his chosen profession. Admonished after a disappointing display by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to make it in professional play, he was eventually transformed from a wide player into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I recall it now,” he said not long ago.

Difficult Phase

Goal-shy since the win over Nottingham Forest here back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his time in football. Gyökeres was widely panned after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper characterizing his outing against the latter as “unnoticeable.”

He managed an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the problem is evidently not his finishing. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his overall contribution has added a new layer in offense, even if the openings have not been in his favor.

Game Analysis

This was plainly visible during the first half of this elite matchup between two teams that had at first appeared closely contested. There was a sense that Gyökeres was overexerting himself to stand out as he charged around like a force of nature during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was originated from some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his defender, José María Giménez.

The defender has the aura of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is deeply knowledgeable 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 must have gone a long way to influencing Arteta to make the move.

Relentless Effort

However having faced scrutiny that he was out of shape after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker chased down every ball as if his career hung in the balance. 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 goal ruled out for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his opening chance.

A sumptuous flick from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an weak effort towards goal. Then it must have seemed as if the breakthrough would elude him. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the masked striker announced his presence. “Ideally this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.