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In the event that Viktor Gyökeres transforms into the striker that all Arsenal supporters have been praying for, then possibly they will look back on this night as the juncture his destiny turned around. According to the classic forward’s saying, it isn’t important how they hit the back of the net.

Following a streak of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and scrutiny increasing on the man brought in for a substantial sum in the offseason, a tremendous feeling of ease engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from close range 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

Within moments and to the excitement of the local supporters, his mask celebration borrowed from the character Bane in Batman, whose catchphrase is “I was ignored before the mask,” was showcased again after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to seal the victory against Atlético Madrid. On the sidelines, Arteta celebrated wildly and signaled enthusiastically in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the past two weeks insisting the finest displays lay ahead.

“That’s the game, and we can’t expect a player to move leagues and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the fixture. “Situations are not the same. Every footballer globally need one thing: their psychological state to be at its optimum. I told Viktor in our first meeting that the No 9 I wanted for Arsenal was someone who could hold up mentally when they experienced a dry spell without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not suited at this level. That’s why I have a great belief in him.”

Youthful Struggles

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are situated in Stockholm’s southern suburbs, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to develop a thick skin to thrive in his chosen profession. Rebuked after a disappointing display by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to succeed in professional play, he was eventually transformed from a flank attacker into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I think about it often,” he said recently.

Difficult Phase

Without a goal since the win over Nottingham Forest here back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his professional life. Gyökeres was widely panned after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the past fortnight, with one newspaper characterizing his outing against the latter as “invisible.”

He managed an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season, so the issue is obviously not his finishing. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his all‑round play has given Arsenal an extra dimension in the final third, even if the opportunities have not fallen his way.

Key Moments

This was plainly visible during the first half of this top-level clash between two teams that had at first appeared well-balanced. There was a impression that Gyökeres was trying too hard to impress as he bustled about like a bull in a china shop during the early stages. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the first few moments was created by some clever dribbling on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his opponent, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the air of a man who could start a fight in an empty bar but is highly seasoned at this standard compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after bagging a triple 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 out of shape after being absent for preparations in Portugal, Arsenal’s noticeably leaner striker pursued each opportunity as if his life depended on it. Giménez was tricked 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 tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross and it did not happen until later that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

A sumptuous flick from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an unconvincing toe-poke towards goal. At that stage it must have seemed as if the first score would not arrive. But the goals flowed when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the masked striker made his mark. “With any luck this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.