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Should Viktor Gyökeres develops into the attacker that all Arsenal supporters have been hoping for, then maybe they will reflect on this night as the point his destiny turned around. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it isn’t important how they go in.

On the back of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and expectations rising on the man signed for £64m in the offseason, a huge wave of relief engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from point-blank via a deflection off David Hancko during a electrifying second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they are serious contenders this season.

Dramatic Turnaround in Form

Shortly after and to the joy of the home faithful, his mask celebration borrowed from the villain Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “attention came only with the disguise,” was showcased again after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. Down on the touchline, Arteta celebrated wildly and signaled enthusiastically in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the peak performance awaited.

“That’s the game, and we can’t expect a player to change contexts and have him replicate his form immediately,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Circumstances vary greatly. Every footballer globally need one thing: their state of mind to be at its best. 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 cut out at this level. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Formative Hurdles

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first understood he would have to toughen up to succeed in his vocation. Rebuked after a poor performance by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to make it in top-level football, he ultimately switched 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 not long ago.

Difficult Phase

Without a goal since the triumph over Nottingham Forest at home back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his career. Gyökeres was widely panned 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 “invisible.”

He achieved an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances throughout the season for Sporting last season, so the difficulty is evidently not his scoring ability. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his complete game has given Arsenal an extra dimension in the final third, even if the opportunities have not fallen his way.

Game Analysis

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 trying too hard to stand out as he bustled about like a force of nature during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was originated from some quick moves on the edge of the Atlético area that niftily took him away from his defender, 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 standard compared with Gyökeres, who is competing in merely 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 make the move.

Constant Hustle

However having drawn comments 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 tricked into conceding a booking when Gyökeres collided with him on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his attempt canceled for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an hesitant shot towards goal. Then it must have seemed as if the opening goal would never come. But the goals flowed when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the forward with the disguise made his mark. “Hopefully this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.