🔗 Share this article

In the event that Viktor Gyökeres develops into the forward that every Arsenal supporters have been hoping for, then perhaps they will look back on this night as the moment his fortune shifted. According to the classic forward’s saying, it doesn’t matter how they find the net.

On the back of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and pressure mounting on the man signed for £64m in the offseason, a massive sense of release swept over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres scuffed home from close range via a ricochet off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side proved yet again that they mean business this season.

Dramatic Turnaround in Form

Shortly after and to the joy of the local supporters, his Bane-inspired gesture borrowed from the character Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “I was ignored before 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. Down on the touchline, Arteta punched the air and motioned emphatically in the direction of his recent signing, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the best was yet to come.

“This is football, and we shouldn’t anticipate a player to move leagues and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Things are very different. Every footballer globally need one thing: their psychological state to be at its peak. I informed Viktor in our first meeting that the center forward I sought 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 great belief in him.”

Formative Hurdles

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to toughen up to succeed in his selected career. Criticised after a subpar outing by a coach who said he didn’t have the mentality to make it in professional play, he ultimately switched from a flank attacker into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I recall it now,” he said recently.

Difficult Phase

Having failed to score since the win over Nottingham Forest at home back on 13 September, this has been one of the hardest times of his career. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were defeated by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “unnoticeable.”

He managed an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the issue is obviously not his goal conversion. As Arteta has frequently pointed out, his overall contribution has added a new layer in attack, even if the chances have not fallen his way.

Game Analysis

This was clearly apparent during the opening period of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had at first appeared evenly matched. There was a impression that Gyökeres was trying too hard to make an impact as he ran aggressively like a bull in a china shop during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that bounced on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was originated from some sharp footwork on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded 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 deeply knowledgeable at this standard 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 probably significantly contributed to persuading Arteta to make the move.

Unyielding Drive

Yet having drawn comments that he was overweight after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s considerably trimmer striker chased down every ball as if his career hung in the balance. Giménez was drawn into conceding a caution when Gyökeres ran into him on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his effort disallowed for offside after finishing Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his opening chance.

A brilliant pass from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an weak effort towards goal. At that stage it must have seemed as if the first score would not arrive. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the masked striker left his imprint. “With any luck this is the commencement of a prolific period,” said a delighted Arteta.