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Should Viktor Gyökeres goes on to become the striker that each Arsenal followers have been praying for, then maybe they will look back on this night as the moment his fortune shifted. According to the classic forward’s saying, it makes no difference how they find the net.

After a run of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the summer, a tremendous feeling of ease washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from near distance via a glance off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side demonstrated once more that they are serious contenders this season.

Dramatic Turnaround in Fortune

Within moments and to the delight of the local supporters, his Bane-inspired gesture borrowed from the villain Bane in Batman, whose signature quote 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. From the technical area, Arteta punched the air and motioned emphatically in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the past two weeks insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“Such is soccer, and we must not assume a player to move leagues and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Circumstances vary greatly. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their mental condition to be at its optimum. I told Viktor in our introductory chat that the center forward I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they went six or eight games without scoring. Failing that, you’re not suited at this level. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Youthful Struggles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to toughen up to thrive in his chosen profession. Criticised after a poor performance by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to make it in elite soccer, he ultimately switched from a wide player into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I think about it often,” he said in a recent interview.

Testing Period

Without a goal since the win over Nottingham Forest at home back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches of his professional life. Gyökeres was widely panned after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the past fortnight, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “absent.”

He recorded an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the problem is evidently not his finishing. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his complete game has added a new layer in offense, even if the openings have not come to him.

Key Moments

This was clearly apparent during the first half of this elite matchup between two teams that had at first appeared well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was pressing too much to impress as he ran aggressively like a disruptive presence during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was set up by some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that niftily took him away from his marker, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the air of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar 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 persuading Arteta to take the plunge.

Constant Hustle

Yet having attracted criticism that he was out of shape after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker pursued each opportunity as if his career hung in the balance. 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 goal ruled out for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it did not happen until later that the Swede had his opening chance.

A sumptuous flick from Martinelli set Gyökeres up perfectly, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an weak effort towards goal. Then it must have seemed as if the opening goal would never come. But the goals flowed 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 beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.