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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres develops into the attacker that each Arsenal supporters have been praying for, then maybe they will recall this night as the point his luck turned around. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it isn’t important how they go in.

Following a streak of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and expectations rising on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the close season, a huge wave of relief engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from point-blank via a deflection off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they are here to compete this season.

Remarkable Shift in Form

Less than three minutes later and to the delight of the home faithful, his mask celebration inspired by the antagonist Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “nobody cared until I put on the mask,” was repeated once more after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta punched the air and signaled enthusiastically in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the peak performance awaited.

“Such is soccer, and we shouldn’t anticipate a player to move leagues and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager remarked in a conversation with the Spanish newspaper Marca before this game. “Circumstances vary greatly. All players in the world need one thing: their state of mind to be at its optimum. I told Viktor in our initial discussion that the center forward I sought for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they went six or eight games without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not suited at this standard. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Early Challenges

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to develop a thick skin to make it in his chosen profession. Rebuked after a disappointing display by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to excel in elite soccer, 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 think about it often,” he said in a recent interview.

Testing Period

Goal-shy since the victory against Nottingham Forest here back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his career. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “absent.”

He managed an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the issue is clearly not his scoring ability. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his all‑round play has added a new layer in the final third, even if the opportunities have not come to him.

Key Moments

This was plainly visible during the opening period of this elite matchup between two teams that had at first appeared well-balanced. There was a sense that Gyökeres was pressing too much to make an impact as he bustled about like a bull in a china shop during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was set up by some clever dribbling on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his defender, José María Giménez.

The defender has the air of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is deeply knowledgeable at this stage compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after scoring a hat-trick for Sporting against Manchester City last season that likely played a key role to convincing Arteta to make the move.

Relentless Effort

Nevertheless having faced scrutiny that he was overweight after sitting out the buildup in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker harried all opponents as if his future was at stake. Giménez was tricked into conceding a booking when Gyökeres ran into 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 wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his opening chance.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an hesitant shot towards goal. At that stage it must have appeared that the first score 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 man in the mask announced his presence. “Ideally this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.