🔗 Share this article

Should Viktor Gyökeres develops into the striker that every Arsenal supporters have been wishing for, then maybe they will reflect on this night as the point his luck shifted. In keeping with the timeless attacker’s creed, it doesn’t matter how they go in.

After a run of nine matches for his team and national side without a goal and expectations rising on the man acquired for a hefty fee in the close season, a huge wave of relief engulfed the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres guided in from near distance via a ricochet off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they mean business this season.

Remarkable Shift in Fortune

Within moments and to the delight of the local supporters, his mask celebration borrowed from the villain Bane in Batman, whose signature quote is “attention came only with the disguise,” was showcased again 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 raised his fists and gestured animatedly in the direction of his star striker, of whom he has spent the past two weeks insisting the peak performance awaited.

“Such is soccer, and we must not assume a player to switch environments and have him perform identically right away,” the Arsenal manager said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Circumstances vary greatly. All players in the world need one thing: their psychological state to be at its best. I told Viktor in our introductory chat that the striker I sought for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they went six or eight games without scoring. If not, you’re not cut out at this tier. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Early Challenges

When he was just 14 playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s outskirts, that Gyökeres first realised he would have to build resilience to thrive in his chosen profession. Criticised after a disappointing display by a coach who said he lacked the mindset to make it in elite soccer, he ultimately switched from a flank attacker into a striker after moving to Brommapojkarna two years later. “That comment resonated and I recall it now,” he said in a recent interview.

Difficult Phase

Goal-shy since the win over Nottingham Forest in London back on 13 September, this has been one of the toughest stretches of his time in football. Gyökeres was sharply rebuked after Sweden were overcome by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper characterizing his outing against the latter as “invisible.”

He managed an remarkable 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the problem is clearly not his goal conversion. In line with the coach’s repeated comments, his overall contribution has given Arsenal an extra dimension in attack, even if the opportunities have not been in his favor.

Game Analysis

This was plainly visible during the first half of this high‑quality encounter between two teams that had originally looked well-balanced. There was a sense that Gyökeres was pressing too much to make an impact as he charged around like a disruptive presence during the opening minutes. An Eberechi Eze shot that glanced on to the bar inside the first few moments was created by some clever dribbling on the edge of the Atlético area that skillfully evaded from his opponent, José María Giménez.

The Uruguayan has the aura of a man who could provoke conflict anywhere but is deeply knowledgeable at this standard compared with Gyökeres, who is playing in only his second Champions League campaign after netting three goals for Sporting against Manchester City last season that must have gone a long way to convincing Arteta to secure the signing.

Unyielding Drive

Nevertheless having drawn comments that he was out of shape after missing most of pre-season in Portugal, Arsenal’s much more svelte-looking striker chased down every ball as if his future was at stake. Giménez was fooled into conceding a yellow card when Gyökeres made contact on the edge of the Atlético area having only been stationary. Gabriel Martinelli saw his goal ruled out for offside after converting Bukayo Saka’s cross and it only came in the second half that the Swede had his initial opportunity.

A exquisite touch from Martinelli provided a golden opportunity, only for Jan Oblak to promptly save an hesitant shot towards goal. At that point it must have appeared that the opening goal would elude him. But the goals flowed when Gabriel scored with a header Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was perfectly positioned to benefit as the masked striker left his imprint. “Hopefully this is the start of some beautiful sequences,” said a delighted Arteta.