🔗 Share this article

If Viktor Gyökeres develops into the attacker that every Arsenal fans have been hoping for, then maybe they will recall this night as the juncture his luck turned around. As the old striker’s mantra goes, it doesn’t matter how they find the net.

On the back of nine matches for Arsenal and Sweden without a goal and expectations rising on the man signed for £64m in the close season, a huge wave of relief washed over the Emirates Stadium when Gyökeres tapped in from close range via a ricochet off David Hancko during a pulsating second half when Mikel Arteta’s side showed again that they are here to compete this season.

Stunning Reversal in Form

Shortly after and to the joy of the home faithful, his Bane-inspired gesture modeled after the character Bane in Batman, whose famous line is “attention came only with the disguise,” was showcased again after forcing home from Gabriel Magalhães’s header following a Declan Rice corner to complete the rout against Atlético Madrid. From the technical area, Arteta raised his fists and motioned emphatically in the direction of his new centre forward, of whom he has spent the previous 14 days insisting the best was yet to come.

“Such is soccer, and we can’t expect a player to change contexts and have him do the same thing instantly,” the Arsenal manager stated in a discussion with the Spanish newspaper Marca prior to the match. “Circumstances vary greatly. Each athlete anywhere need one thing: their psychological state to be at its optimum. I told Viktor in our introductory chat that the center forward I sought for Arsenal was someone who could stay resilient when they went six or eight games without scoring. Otherwise, you’re not suited at this level. That’s why I have a strong confidence in him.”

Early Challenges

Back in his early teens playing for IFK Aspudden-Tellus, who are based in Stockholm’s southside districts, that Gyökeres first understood he would have to build resilience to succeed in his vocation. Rebuked after a disappointing display by a coach who said he was not mentally equipped to make it in elite soccer, he ultimately switched from a winger into a striker after joining Brommapojkarna two years later. “Those words lingered and I think about it often,” he said not long ago.

Challenging Spell

Having failed to score since the victory against Nottingham Forest at home back on 13 September, this has been one of the most testing periods of his career. Gyökeres was heavily criticised after Sweden were beaten by Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers in the previous 14 days, with one newspaper describing his performance against the latter as “invisible.”

He managed an astounding 54 goals in 52 appearances in all tournaments for Sporting last season, so the problem is evidently not his goal conversion. As the manager has often noted, his all‑round play has provided additional depth in offense, even if the opportunities have not been in his favor.

Game Analysis

This was certainly in evidence during the initial 45 minutes of this top-level clash between two teams that had initially seemed evenly matched. There was a impression that Gyökeres was pressing too much to make an impact as he ran aggressively like a bull in a china shop during the beginning phase. An Eberechi Eze shot that deflected on to the bar inside the opening five minutes was created by some clever dribbling on the edge of the Atlético area that cleverly escaped from his defender, José María Giménez.

Giménez has the aura of a man who could provoke conflict anywhere but is deeply knowledgeable at this level compared with Gyökeres, who is participating in just his second Champions League campaign after netting three goals for Sporting against Manchester City last season that probably significantly contributed to influencing Arteta to make the move.

Unyielding Drive

However 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 life depended on it. Giménez was fooled into conceding a booking when Gyökeres ran into 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 wasn’t until after the break that the Swede had his first sight of goal.

A brilliant pass from Martinelli created an ideal chance, only for Jan Oblak to swiftly block an hesitant shot towards goal. Then it must have seemed as if the opening goal would never come. But the floodgates opened when Gabriel headed home Rice’s free-kick and Gyökeres was ready to capitalize as the forward with the disguise announced his presence. “Ideally this is the beginning of a great run,” said a delighted Arteta.