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Should Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the attacker that each Arsenal fans have been hoping for, then maybe they will look back on this night as the juncture his destiny shifted. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it makes no difference how they find the net.

Following a streak of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and pressure mounting on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the offseason, a tremendous feeling of ease swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from close range via a deflection 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 Fortune

Within moments and to the joy of the stadium crowd, his face-covering routine inspired by the character Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “attention came only with the disguise,” was given another airing after kneeing in from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to finish the demolition 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 previous 14 days insisting the peak performance awaited.

“This is football, and we must not assume a player to change contexts 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. Every footballer globally need one thing: their mental condition to be at its optimum. I informed Viktor in our initial discussion that the center forward I sought for Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not cut out at this level. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Youthful Struggles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first understood he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his chosen profession. Criticised 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 winger into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I think about it often,” he said recently.

Challenging Spell

Without a goal since the victory against 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 defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper labeling his display against the latter as “invisible.”

He recorded an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the problem is clearly not his goal conversion. As the manager has often noted, his all‑round play has given Arsenal an extra dimension in attack, even if the openings 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 at first appeared closely contested. There was a feeling that Gyökeres was pressing too much to stand out as he ran aggressively like a force of nature during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced 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 opponent, José María Giménez.

The defender has the aura of a man who could provoke conflict anywhere but is deeply knowledgeable at this level 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 likely played a key role to influencing Arteta to take the plunge.

Relentless Effort

Yet having drawn comments that he was carrying a few too many pounds after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker pursued each opportunity as if his future was at stake. Giménez was fooled into conceding a yellow card when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having merely stood his ground. Gabriel Martinelli saw his effort disallowed for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A brilliant pass from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an hesitant shot towards goal. At that stage it must have appeared that the opening goal would elude him. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel nodded in Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the masked striker left his imprint. “With any luck this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.